Outside, she crossed the lawn, barely noticing the wet grass or the cool chill of the afternoon air. Her attention was focused on getting to the cemetery by the most direct route.
She hurried along the path through the woods and when she reached town, headed left. As soon as she could, she ducked behind a row of houses to cut over to the dirt road that would take her north to the ancient cemetery.
Few traveled this road anymore since the old cemetery had run out of space and a newer, larger cemetery had been built south of town. Only those with long-established families ever came to it, and it was here that the Winslow family mausoleum was located.
Kacie thought some of the larger mausoleums or vaults might be great places for the vampires to sleep during the day—they’d be roomy, dry, and dark.
Reaching the cemetery, she surveyed the area. The place was open on three sides, but the back of the cemetery butted up against the back of the cliff. The trees had grown so large that their limbs formed a rough canopy overhead that cast the grounds below into perpetual shadow. Roots bulged out of the ground, cracking the paved walkways that once ran smoothly throughout. Years of fallen limbs and leaves had been swept into erratic piles by the constant wind.
An overwhelming silence enveloped the place so that Kacie became acutely aware of the sound of her own breathing. She approached the old gate slowly, with reverence, not fear. There was so much history here, the place never failed to impress her.
The gate opened with little protest and she stepped inside. There were all manner of burial sites within and most of the in-ground sites had become overgrown with grass and shrubs until it was hard to tell where one site ended and another began. The headstones ranged from humble markers to huge stone monuments. Her feet, seemingly of their own volition, maneuvered the familiar broken path that led to the far corner where a large mausoleum stood. She stopped before the ornate iron door and looked at the name inscribed across the doorway: WINSLOW.
Sliding back the bolt, she pushed on the door. It opened on well-oiled hinges and she went inside. The murky darkness swallowed her and if she’d been more prone to fantastical imaginings, she might have been frightened, but life had taught her to be realistic.
She stared into the shadows, barely able to see the outlines of the various burial chambers along each side wall. She’d been here numerous times before and turned now to the shelf just inside the door where she found the battery-operated lantern.
Turning it on, she looked around. The chamber appeared as it always had. Plaques with the names of the deceased marked the front of each chamber and she walked past each one, not so much reading the names as reciting them from memory. Marcus and Elizabeth Winslow, parents of what the family referred to as the original four: Angus, Sean, Ewan, and Erik. Until Erik had been attacked by the chupacabra, no one in the family had realized chupacabras or vampires existed. Then Angus survived his chupacabra attack and had become both a changeling and the first Night Slayer—thus starting the family tradition of hunting vampires. Plaques for all four brothers, including Erik, followed their parents’.
Kacie quickly scanned the rest of the names until she reached the most recent—Lily Winslow. Beside hers, there were three more plaques. Kacie lovingly traced the names etched on them: Vince Renault, Sarah Renault, and Robbie Renault.
Dropping her hand to her side, Kacie turned around and studied the four walls with a critical eye. The building was free-standing and there was nothing on the inside that would lend itself to being a secret entrance to an underground vampire lair. She didn’t think the lair was likely to be in the Winslow family vault anyway. If it had been, one of the Winslow slayers would have found it and destroyed it years ago.
She walked toward the door and started to replace the lantern, then changed her mind. The other mausoleums and burial vaults were bound to be dark inside. It would be good to have a source of light with her.
Closing the iron door behind her when she stepped out, Kacie checked her watch. It was almost 2:00 p.m., which meant she still had a couple of hours to look around. Whether she’d have time to stake the vampires before they awoke depended on how long it took her to find them.
Looking about, she saw that there were only two other buildings large enough to hide a secret entrance. She walked over to the first one and looked at the name above the door: barrows. The name on the other building was ellington. The name sounded familiar to her and she tried to remember why. Then it hit her. According to the family legend, Ellington was the last name of the brothers who had followed Erik into death by hunting down the chupacabra that killed him.
She stared at the large stone structure with fascination. Could this be Michael’s family vault? If so, then wouldn’t it be the perfect place to hide an entrance to their lair?
With a sense of excitement, she tried to slide back the bolt. It wouldn’t budge. Holding the lantern close to give herself better light, she examined it for signs that it was rusted closed. Seeing none, she stood to the side and then tried to kick the bolt with the bottom of her foot. It worked surprisingly well and the bolt shot back, but when she tried to push open the door, it held fast.
Confused, she thought it was locked, but then realized it was simply stuck. That put a chink in her theory. If the vampires used it all the time, wouldn’t the door be easier to open?
Unwilling to give up, she threw all her weight against the door, ramming it with the side of her arm until her shoulder ached from the impact. About to give up, she gave it one last shot. Heaving herself against the door, it suddenly swung open. Thrown off balance, Kacie stumbled forward. She might have regained her footing had it not been for the short set of steps just inside. As she fell, she caught sight of a dark form lurking just inside the doorway.
Fear for her life had her twisting in midair, wanting to face her attacker. She landed on her shoulder and pain shot through her body. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear them as she reached for a weapon. Only her arm was numb and wouldn’t obey her command.
With a feeling of desperation, she looked at the figure standing just to the side of the doorway, deep in the shadows. With her heart in her throat, Kacie tried to make out the features of her attacker. His face, what she could see of it, was twisted into a feral snarl. With a start, she realized this was no vampire. It was a chupacabra. Terror washed over her as she lay there helpless, her eyes locked on the long fangs prominently exposed and ready to rip out her throat.
Chapter 5
Kacie braced for the attack, certain that death was only seconds away. Nothing happened. The chupacabra didn’t move. Curiosity slowly replaced fear and with it came her ability to think again. Then she felt like a fool. It wasn’t night yet, so the chupacabra was still in its stone phase.
Feeling really foolish now for being so afraid, she tried to push herself to her feet. Pain shot through her injured shoulder and the arm collapsed beneath her weight.
Great, she thought. The last thing she needed at the moment was to have an injured sword arm. Fortunately, she knew how to fight with her left hand, but it wasn’t the same.
Rolling onto her hands and knees, Kacie got to her feet. Now that she was standing, the chupacabra didn’t seem nearly as intimidating. Going up to it, she hesitantly reached out and touched it. Its rough, stone-like surface felt cool and damp. Retrieving the lantern from where it had fallen, she turned it on and held it close to the chupacabra. Now that she had the light to help her see, Kacie was no longer sure this was even a day-phase chupacabra. It might simply be a statue erected to memorialize how the brothers—Michael and Sedrick—were killed.
Turning away from it, she looked around the inside of the mausoleum. This was set up differently from the Winslow one. There were four ossuaries standing side by side. Behind them was a small stone altar with a standing cross in the center. A short distance behind the altar, the family coat of arms had been carved into the wall.
Kacie moved forward. This mausoleum offere
d so many more possibilities for secret entrances. She walked up to the ossuaries and read the names on each: Viscount Richard Ellington, Lady Vanessa Ellington, Lord Sedrick Ellington, and Lord Michael Ellington.
Kacie’s excitement grew. The last two ossuaries would be empty.
She remembered seeing a movie once where the stairs to an underground chamber had been hidden inside an ossuary. She stood beside Michael’s and shoved at the stone top. Pain shot up her arm and the stone cover didn’t move.
Gingerly, she ran her fingertips along the edge, searching for a secret mechanism that would open it, but the edge was smooth. She turned her attention to Sedrick’s ossuary and searched it—with the same results. There was no way she was strong enough to move them on her own—they were too heavy.
Frustrated, Kacie glanced at the time. It was getting late and she didn’t want to be in the cemetery when night fell. Besides, she was starving.
Deciding to call it a day, she vowed to come back again tomorrow to finish exploring. With a last wary glance at the chupacabra statue, she left the Ellington mausoleum and pulled the door closed behind her.
Minutes later, she’d returned the lantern to the Winslow mausoleum and left the cemetery. Glancing at her clothes, she saw they were covered in dust. She should probably go back to the castle and change, but she was tired, hungry, and her arm hurt, so she brushed herself off as best she could and continued on toward town.
Myrtle’s was already busy by the time she arrived and was shown to a table. She placed her order and then ran to the restroom to wash some of the dirt from her face and hands. By the time she sat back down, her food was waiting for her.
Though she was hungry enough to inhale her food, Kacie forced herself to eat slowly. She let her gaze travel around the room, savoring the familiarity of Myrtle’s wooden tables and floors, worn with age. On the far wall was a stone fireplace and during the cold winter months, patrons could warm themselves in front of a blazing fire. The gaming tables were off to one side and there was a bar along the side wall where those just wanting a drink could sit.
The bar and grill represented one half of the inn. The adjoining room served as the lobby for the hotel side and a set of stairs led to the upper floors where the guest rooms were located.
Kacie casually studied the people around her without really seeing any of them. Her thoughts were on Gerard. She hadn’t seen him in three years. Once she moved to the States, it would be a lot longer than that before she saw him again, if ever. Despite her anger toward him, she grudgingly admitted to herself that she would miss him.
But she would have Ben to keep her company. Lean and wiry, he was the consummate martial arts instructor. She’d hired him to train her because she wanted to keep her fighting skills well honed. They’d become friends instantly and started spending much of their free time together. When he’d invited her home to spend Christmas with his family that first time, they’d welcomed her with open arms. His family was huge and everyone seemed to get along so well that Kacie had taken to them right away. In fact, she often joked that she’d fallen in love with Ben’s family long before she fell in love with him.
Being in love wasn’t anything like she’d imagined it, though. It wasn’t the heart-pounding, can’t-live-without-him feeling one read about in storybooks. Unless what she felt for Ben wasn’t the “real” thing. But if it wasn’t, then what the hell was she doing moving overseas with him?
Normal life, she reminded herself. Even if she went with Ben and they both decided that friends was all they’d ever be, at least she’d have a new, normal life—as far from Hocksley as she could get.
The waitress came and laid the bill on the table, snapping Kacie out of her mental ramblings. When she reached into her pocket for money, her arm—which had grown stiff while sitting there—ached in protest, reminding her it would be a while before she could lift her sword again.
All the more reason to hurry home before nightfall.
Laying enough money down to pay for her meal, Kacie stood to leave. Her glance fell on the window and with a start, she saw that it was already dark outside. She’d lost track of time.
Just then, the door opened and a figure walked in. Kacie abruptly sat back down, making herself as inconspicuous as possible, her gaze following Erik as he walked past the dining area and headed straight for the lobby. He never looked around, but headed directly for the stairs and went up.
Kacie sat there, stunned. What was he doing here?
She looked around, wondering at the reaction of those around her. A vampire had just walked past them and none of them seemed the least disturbed. Of course, they didn’t know he was a vampire, did they?
Kacie settled back down to wait.
“I changed my mind,” she told the waitress, when she gave Kacie a bewildered look.
“You want a drink?”
“Whiskey sour, thanks.” Kacie’s arm was still aching and she hoped the alcohol might ease the pain.
Two hours and three drinks later, Kacie was still sitting at the table waiting for Erik to reappear. The demographics of the bar crowd had shifted from families eating dinner to individuals wanting to drink and have fun. Kacie was beginning to wonder if Erik had left by some back way when she felt someone watching her. Looking around, she saw a young man, built like a college football player, sitting at the next table. When their eyes met, he smiled.
There was something about him that made her uneasy, so she ignored him and continued to look around the room, stopping when she spotted a couple coming down the stairs.
When they reached the bottom, they turned and Kacie felt her heart slam against her chest. Erik was standing with a stunningly beautiful woman with short blond hair. Her hand was resting on his arm and their heads were bent close together as she said something that caused him to smile.
Kacie forgot the drink held halfway to her lips as she watched, confused. What, exactly, had he been doing up there? And who was that woman hanging all over him?
Then, to her utter shock, Erik leaned down and kissed the woman. A gentle touching of the lips that left Kacie so shaken, she lost her grip on her glass. It slipped from her fingers, bounced off the edge of the table, and shattered against the floor.
She cast a quick glance at Erik to see if he’d noticed, but his attention seemed focused solely on the woman by his side. Mortified, Kacie bent to pick up the pieces of glass and felt the sharp bite of pain.
“Ye must be more careful, lass,” the young man who’d been watching her earlier said in a soft Scottish lilt as he knelt beside her. “Ye’ve cut yourself.”
She looked down at her finger and saw blood. She reached for the paper napkin on the table, but he grabbed it first.
“Here now, let me.” The young man took her hand and gently wrapped the napkin around her finger, applying pressure. After a second, he took the napkin away. The bleeding had slowed considerably, although even as she watched, a small bead formed at the edge of the cut.
She tried to pull her hand away, but the young man wouldn’t release her. Wondering how she could free herself without being rude, she watched with a growing sense of horror and disgust as the young man lifted her finger to his mouth. He wrapped his lips around it and gently sucked the blood from it.
Alarm shot through her as she gazed into eyes that shone a little too brightly to be human. Afraid that if she jumped up and pulled her sword, innocent people would be hurt, she searched for a way out of her predicament. Hoping he would think her reaction was from shock—and not because she knew what he was—she mumbled something under her breath, pulled her hand free and hurried for the door.
Outside, the noise of the bar receded and she took a deep breath, stopping to collect herself. She looked around, wondering how she could possibly lure the vampire outside when suddenly he was there, standing behind her.
“Here now, don’t be rushing off.”
She whirled around and pulled her sword in one smooth action. “Oh, I’m not going anywh
ere,” she assured him.
He raised his eyebrows, but looked amused rather than worried. “And what do you think you’ll be doing with that?”
She kept the sword between them. “I’m going to kill you.”
He laughed. “Is that right? Be a good girl and put the sword away.”
“I have a better idea,” she countered. “Come and get it.”
When the vampire lunged at her, she swung her sword. It was a fast, smooth arc, until something that felt like a bulldozer hit her sore arm. The pain was blinding and she couldn’t hold on to her sword. It went sailing across the street.
She stared after it, horrified, as the vampire grabbed her and jerked her forward. She felt the warm trickle of blood and knew her stitches had torn open.
She turned to glare at the vampire, praying he wouldn’t notice the scent of more blood. “That was a mistake,” she warned him.
“Oh, you have me quaking, pet,” he replied, no longer sounding in the least bit Scottish. His smile told her that long before he was done with her, she’d wish she were dead. “Now, why don’t you—”
She slammed the heel of her free hand into his nose as hard as she could, taking him by surprise. As hoped, he loosened his grip on her arm and she jerked free.
When she turned to run, two more vampires appeared. Seeing them, she made a dive for her sword. As soon as her fingers wrapped around it, she rolled to her feet. The strain to hold her sword was intense and she tried to ignore it as she faced her attackers.
“Carrington, you all right, mate?” One of the vampires asked the fake Scot, keeping his eyes trained on Kacie. “Hey, isn’t that the one Michael’s looking for?”
“Yes,” Carrington said. “And we’re going to take her to him, just as soon as we’ve had our fun. Bring her to me.”
The other two vampires smiled as they stalked forward. They seemed unconcerned that she was armed, which was their mistake. Kacie sliced the air in a figure-eight pattern before leveling the blade, once more, in their direction. The vampires hesitated.
Lord of the Night Page 8
