Leaning her elbows on the table, Vanora smiled at him triumphantly. “Basically, Armando, you have to roll a seven to avoid owing me your soul. Roll anything else and I own you!” She looked like a wicked angel with her white hair falling over her shoulders, framing her big lavender eyes.
Alisha leaned into Armando, her breath smelling of wine and pig’s blood. “I really should have warned you about her bloodthirstiness. It’s really disturbing. We didn’t raise her this way.”
“I have no idea where she gets it from,” Roman added, winking at his youngest sister.
“Stop delaying! I have a game to win!” Vanora leaned across the table and plopped the dice in front of Armando. “Roll it, sucker!”
Armando arched an eyebrow, watching her blush under his gaze. “A seven?”
“Yep.” Vanora rubbed her hands together. “Gimme money.”
With a deft flick of his wrist, Armando sent the dice rolling across the board. They hopped around a bit before coming to a rest. One dice rested on two, the other on five.
Vanora gasped in horror as Armando moved his miniature iron to a safe spot on the board.
“That was most excellent,” Alisha said, clapping.
“You may have met your match,” Roman said, nudging Vanora with his elbow.
Armando tilted his head sharply when he heard the distinct sound of vampire heartbeats. Not Roman and Alisha, but someone beyond the house.
“I will crush you all!” Vanora took stock of her empty glass. “I need a soda. Any of you want blood on ice?
“Snow Pea!”
“Alisha!”
“You gross me out when you talk like that,” Alisha chided.
“You’re the bloodsucker!”
Alisha dramatically flailed in her chair. “Can I please beat her up, Roman?”
“Let her live a little longer. I want my revenge,” Roman responded while studying the board.
Armando watched the teenager bounce out of the room: his ears were now filled with the steady beating of not one vampire heart, but of many. A group of vampires was descending on the house for unknown purposes. Armando was alarmed by this unexpected event. He was ill prepared to defend Vanora.
Vanora! She should not be alone!
Armando began to excuse himself when Vanora screamed.
Instantaneously, Armando was out the door and in the hallway, his chair crashing to the floor.
“Vanora!” Alisha cried out behind him.
Roman’s hurried footsteps followed Armando into the hall. Vanora continued to scream, her voice coming from the kitchen. Armando was the first to enter. He was horrified to find Vanora cowering on the floor, her hands over her ears, shrieking in terror. Armando fell to his knees and grabbed hold of her hands.
“What is it, Vanora? You must tell me!” He witnessed the strange quivering of her eyes, a swift movement from side to side, and was uncertain she could even see him. This manifestation of her power was fascinating, but the danger at hand was more important. “What do you see?”
“Make them go away! Make them go away, Armando!” Vanora cried out desperately.
“Who are they, Vanora?” Armando demanded. “You must tell me who they are! What do you see?”
“They’re coming, Armando! They’re coming!” Vanora sobbed. “Please make them go away.”
“Who? Vanora, who are they?” Armando persisted. The names of enemies poured through his mind, and he felt ill-equipped to deal with such a large attack.
“You’re frightening her!” Roman declared and pushed Armando aside.
Armando hissed with irritation.
“What’s wrong, Vanora? Talk to me?” Roman said in a much calmer voice.
Vanora lifted her tear-streaked face, her pink lips trembling. “They’re out there! I can feel them, their darkness pushing in on me!”
Alisha hovered above her siblings, looking about apprehensively. “Roman, I think she’s right! I sense something.”
“They want you, Roman! They need you!” Vanora wailed. Tears streamed from her frantic eyes, her hands clutching Roman’s.
“But who are they, Vanora?” Armando demanded.
Vampires were gathering somewhere in the darkness, seeking out Roman for unknown reasons, and he was afraid of their intentions. Vampires had a tendency to eliminate each other in bloody purges. At first, Armando had considered the possibility that it was his Master who was approaching, but knew that his Master was preoccupied with other matters. This could only mean that other vampires had found Roman and had gathered for some enigmatic purpose.
“Please, Armando! Let me handle this,” Roman said firmly. “Vanora, are you sensing something?”
“Of course she is Roman!” Alisha snapped. “They’re out there! Vanora is sensing them, Roman! I can feel that something is wrong, but not as strongly. We’re in danger! Vanora, what is it? What’s out there?”
Roman cast an angry look at Alisha. “Let me deal with this. Vanora, what is it you’re feeling?”
“Voices in my head...voices calling your name...heartbeats pounding...but not normal heartbeats...they are too harsh...too slow….They need you! They want you! I feel that so strongly! They need your power! That is why they are coming! For you!”
“Who, Snow Pea? Who are they?” Alisha asked fearfully.
“The other vampires!” Vanora nearly choked on her words. “The ones I saw before!”
Armando gripped Roman’s arm tightly. “What is she talking about?”
“She thought she saw vampires about a month ago. Nothing came of it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? There are many dangerous factions out there, Roman!”
Roman’s face twisted, his emotions twisting his features into a desperate mask. “Nothing came of it! It wasn’t important.”
“You should have told me,” Armando growled at him.
“I didn’t trust you then!”
“Do you trust me now?” Armando snapped.
Roman looked pensive, his arms wrapped protectively around Vanora. “I trust no one but myself when it comes to my sisters.”
Armando flung up a hand in irritation, then concentrated all his senses on the approaching pack of vampires. There were far too many for him to fight.
“Why do they need me?” Roman asked his sister softly.
Vanora clawed at Roman’s shirt, her face wild and terrified. She was shaking violently, she could hardly speak. Roman held her close, rocking back and forth, striving to calm her.
Armando leaned over Roman and Vanora. “Roman, we can’t be sure of the other vampires’ intentions. We’d best leave now!”
“Why would they come here?” Alisha exclaimed. “I don’t understand!”
Roman’s brow furrowed, his eyes burning with intensity as he considered the possible gravity of the situation. “Why are they coming for me? Do they intend to destroy me? This is my home! They can’t enter!”
“They want you, Roman! They need you!” Vanora sputtered. She clutched Armando’s pant leg. “Please, make them go away, Armando!”
Armando ran his hands through his hair, uncertain of what to do. He was supposed to protect the girl. That is why his Master had sent him here. Above all other things, he had to fulfill his duty to his Master. So that was what he was going to do. Armando reached down and took hold of Vanora’s arms. He easily pulled her away from Roman.
“What are you doing?” Roman demanded, startled by his friend’s actions.
Vanora cowered in Armando’s grip as he hauled her about and rushed her toward the exit to the garage.
“I’m taking Vanora away from here now! It isn’t safe! We should all leave!”
“No! No!” Vanora screamed. “We can’t leave! They need Roman!” The girl was incoherent, obviously not aware of what was happening beyond her own wild thoughts. With a savage twist, jerked away from Armando and ran into the front hall.
“Stop her!” Alisha cried out. “We have to protect her!”
Armando sprinte
d after the teenager and caught her in the hallway. She twisted in his grasp, beating at him with her hands. He found it difficult to hold onto her. Strong currents of power kept repulsing him, causing him to lose his grip on her delicate limbs. “Don’t be a fool! You must not listen to the vampires! Don’t listen to them, Vanora! Block them from your mind!”
“They’re coming! They’re coming!” Vanora wailed, tearing at her white hair, her eyes frenzied. Her body rocked, the kinetic energy pouring out of her electrifying the air about her.
Armando finally managed to wrap his arms around the teenager, pulling her against him.
“We need to get to the car.” Alisha rushed to the table in the hallway where she always left her purse and keys.
Armando jerked the girl upwards in his arms, holding her close, prepared to carry her out when he saw Roman striding toward the front door. “Roman, no!”
24
Roman watched his youngest sister with fearful fascination. His gaze strayed toward the front door, his face deeply lined in the shadows, his brow furrowing as he pondered their situation. Suddenly, he marched toward the front door, a determined expression on his face. “Alisha, Armando, get Vanora out of here!”
Alisha ran after her brother and seized his forearm. “No, Roman, no!”
“Alisha, I want to know what is going on!” Roman’s face was incredibly fierce, his eyes subtly glowing. He had not looked this way since the night he had destroyed his Master. “Now, go.”
Under his intense gaze, Alisha relinquished her hold on her brother’s arm. “Do what you have to, but please, be careful!”
“No! Roman, don’t go out there!” Vanora cried out.
Armando dragged Vanora down the hallway to prevent her from following Roman. “Don’t be a fool, Roman! You don’t know who is out there!”
“I have to do this! If they found me for a reason, then I have to know why they have sought me out. I have to know their reasoning for coming here. Armando, I want you to escape with Vanora and Alisha, and take them to a safe place.” Roman grabbed hold of the doorknob and yanked the door open.
The wind moaned through the doorway, a gush of unseasonably cold, night air flowing over everyone in the foyer of the house. Silver moonlight spilled into the hallway, washing over Roman’s imposing form. Beyond him, the night was silent, peaceful, yet dark powers churned and flowed in invisible waves, pressing in upon him. Standing serenely, all dressed in black, their pale flesh translucent in the moonlight, eyes blazing through the darkness, stood nearly fifty vampires. Tightly clustered together, their burning eyes intensely regarding Roman, they whispered softly to each other.
He was afraid for a moment but then thought of his sisters.
Stepping out quickly, he shut the door behind him
A tall woman stood before all of them. She was a lithe creature with dark brown hair pulled severely up onto the top of her head, her dark green eyes and ruby red lips standing out sharply on her pale face. Standing slightly behind her was a very suave handsome man with long black hair that gleamed like raven’s feathers. Dressed in a Gothic, eighteenth-century style suit, his most striking feature was his light blue eyes. Slowly, the woman’s dark lips spread into a smile
“You are Roman Socoli?” she called out.
Roman was overwhelmed by the presence of the new vampires. He could feel the potent power of their gaze. Instinctively, he knew that if these vampires had come to kill him and his family, they were all doomed. The blood power was strong in these vampires, emanating outward from them in dark, chilling waves. It was the power he had felt in his Master and in Armando multiplied fifty times. He was so overcome by their immense power, it took him nearly a minute before he nodded and responded, “Yes, I am Roman Socoli.”
The vampires all began to whisper among themselves, their eyes burning with dark fire.
The female vampire, who was obviously their spokesperson, smiled, her dark red lips pulling back from her long fangs. “Then it is you we have been searching for.”
Slowly, all the vampires bowed their heads as the woman stepped forward, approaching Roman. Her expression was rapt, her dark green eyes glowing like the dying embers of a great fire. She was beautiful, ethereal, and so obviously deadly.
“My name is Sheila. I have been searching for you for nearly a year along with my mate, Alexander. As we sought you out, we found others who shared our quest to find you. We are all gathered here tonight.”
“I don’t understand,” Roman said, clearly uneasy.
The door burst open and Alisha stumbled onto the front step, the door closing behind her to block out Vanora’s terrified screams. She clutched a stake in one hand. At the sight of the vampires, she gasped.
Sheila’s eyes flickered toward Alisha, then back to Roman. He moved swiftly to block her way into the house.
“Explain why you are here,” Roman said in his most commanding voice.
Slightly bowing her head, Sheila took on a more demure stance. “We mean no offense coming here.”
Again the front door burst open, this time Vanora stumbling out into the night, her white arms held out as if to ward off the vampires. Her white hair and skin gleamed in the moonlight, giving her an ethereal appearance.
“Vanora,” Roman hissed.
“Don’t hurt him!” she cried out. “Don’t hurt him!”
Armando stepped onto the stoop appearing shaken, his hand pressed to his head. Roman glowered at him, but Armando just stared at Vanora in disbelief.
“We’re not here to hurt him, child,” Sheila said to Vanora, looking aghast.
Clutching Roman’s arm with quivering fingers, she pressed herself into Roman’s side. He was angered by her presence, yet touched by her bravery.
“If you’re not here to hurt us, then why are you here?” Roman asked.
Sheila took a cautious step forward. The vampires behind her remained unmoving. “Let me explain. We have all lived in darkness for so long. We are all damned to this world of eternal night and endless killing. We all dream of the time when we were still able to face the sun and our immortality would have been in the eyes of our children. But that time ended when we were cursed with the Dark Gift. Many of us had given up hope for any semblance of a mortal life. We have lived in fear of losing our immortal lives at the hands of the hunters. We feared staying together, afraid that our numbers would allow us to be detected and destroyed. We lived with the guilt of our hunger and the death it brought to others. Until now. This is the book that set us free to live again.” Sheila held out her long, pale hands. In her grasp was a leather-bound book with a large gash across its front cover. In gold lettering, it said Roman’s Law.
“Where did you get that?” Armando demanded from where he stood in the doorway.
“A small bookstore. The leather cover attracted me. What’s inside liberated me,” Sheila responded. “It liberated all of us.”
In unison with the other vampires, Sheila sank to her knees, her head bowed reverently. “For years we have lived without direction, without the guidance of a Master. Until now. We have sought you out, Roman Socoli, because we need you.” Sheila lifted her eyes to Roman, her face illuminated by hope. “We have come to honor the man whom we chose to call our Master. That is you, Roman Socoli. We choose you to lead us.”
* * *
As Roman moved among the vampires, greeting them, learning their names, embracing them as brothers and sisters of the night, Armando watched in silence. Alisha followed in her brother’s wake, obviously a little more frightened, yet hope was in her eyes. At Roman’s request, Vanora stood on the stoop with Armando, watching. Small tremors wracked her body, but she refused to go inside.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Armando said to her in a low voice. “Take deep breaths and concentrate on pushing them out of your mind.”
Nodding mutely, Vanora slowly dragged air into her lungs, then released it.
“Keep doing that.” Armando touched her shoulder lightly, yet fearfully.
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While attempting to carry her to safety, Vanora had sent him to his knees. Guarding himself against the other vampires, not the human girl, she had been able to render him nearly senseless with her mind. It was as if icy water had poured into him, instantly paralyzing him. He wasn’t even certain if she was aware she had done it.
“Now, pretend that you have walls in your head protecting your mind. Push all the voices outside those walls.”
The girl again nodded, closing her eyes. Her white eyelashes fluttered as she concentrated. Armando sensed her reeling her power back within herself.
“Very good.”
Opening her eyes, Vanora reached out and gripped his hand. “I was really scared.”
“I know. But they come in friendship. If they wanted to hurt your brother, they would have already attacked and killed us all.” He squeezed her hand gently. “You’re safe.”
Resting her head against his arm, Vanora sighed. “I feel safe with you here. Like you’ll protect me from the bad vampires.”
The irony of her words was not lost on him. “I will protect you, Vanora.”
That was no lie. He would protect her until his Master commanded him to bring her to him.
Part IV
Present Day
Vanora was exhausted and the road was lulling her to sleep. Loud music, coffee, and rubbing her fatigued eyes did not help. Gripping the steering wheel even tighter, she blearily stared at the road.
Only an hour remained in her trip, yet it was a struggle to remain awake minute to minute. Though she hadn’t seen, nor sensed anything menacing in the night for some time, she was too afraid to pull the car over. She had just enough gas to make it to the mansion, so no more stops were required.
Flexing her hands, she stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders. The night felt absolute and daunting. She was afraid, yet resolute.
Vampire in the Night: In Darkness We Must Abide, #1 Page 15
