He prowled the dark streets hungrily. A sudden awareness, like a cold wind blowing over his skin, warned him he was no longer alone.
"Chiavari."
The vampire materialized out of the shadows. "Ramsey." The accusation was clear in his voice. "Why?"
"She wanted it."
"Do you know what you've done? Khira…"
"Has already visited me."
Chiavari lifted one brow. "Indeed?"
"Yes. I… thank you."
"For what?"
"You may have saved my life tonight. Khira attempted to exercise her power over me a short time ago. It hurt! Hurt like the very devil, but I remembered what you said about my having powerful blood. It must be true. She backed down. She said she could take me, but it would weaken her."
"Did she indeed?" Chiavari waved his thanks aside. "The test of your strength is good news."
"Good news? She almost…"
"Good news indeed," Chiavari said. "It means that, combined, we have the power to face her, if it comes to that. But you should not have brought Kelly across, not now. It complicates things. Weakens you, makes you vulnerable."
"Is that why you haven't brought Marisa across?"
"What I do is none of your business."
"But you want to."
Without conscious thought, they fell into step side by side and walked down the street.
"Yes, and no," Chiavari answered.
"I don't understand."
"We stay the same as we are when we change," Chiavari explained. "And yet we don't. Each individual reacts differently to the Dark Gift. Some embrace it." His gaze moved over Ramsey. "Some reject it and die. Some become drunk with power. Some, like Kristov, revel in the darkness of it."
"Did it change you?"
"For a time."
"And what of Khira?"
"Khira is a law unto herself. She always has been."
"So you said before."
"Do you doubt me?"
"No." Ramsey shuddered, remembering the pain she had inflicted on him with no more than a thought. He had managed to withstand her this time, but what of next time? He had surprised her tonight. If there was another confrontation, she would be ready for him.
Chiavari paused. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. "There," he said.
Ramsey followed Chiavari's gaze and saw a couple standing in a parking lot, laughing.
"Blood for two," Ramsey muttered with a wry grin. "A girl for me, and a boy for you."
They were crossing the street when a voice called out, "Hey, Ed!"
Ramsey swore under his breath as Tom Duncan came hurrying toward him.
"Who is this?" Chiavari asked.
"He's a hunter," Ramsey replied, pasting a smile on his face. "And an old friend."
Duncan slapped Ramsey on the shoulder. "How was the vacation?"
"What? Oh, it was good."
Duncan nodded, but his attention was on Ramsey's companion. "Have we met?"
Chiavari shook his head. "Enjoy your friend, Ramsey," he said. "I'm going home."
"Hey, now, don't run off," Duncan said. "I didn't catch your name."
"I didn't give it."
Ramsey's gaze darted from Duncan to Chiavari and back again. The tension between the two of them was almost palpable.
"Any reason not to?" Duncan asked.
Ramsey groaned inwardly. Duncan might be built like a pro fullback, but he was no match for a vampire like Chiavari, not after dark.
"So, Tom,'' Ramsey said, hoping to distract his friend, "are you on the hunt?"
"As always," Duncan replied, his gaze steady on Chiavari.
Ramsey swore softly. His hunger, his need to replenish the blood he had given Kelly, cried out for the warm, sweet relief that Tom's presence denied him. But he had to defuse this situation.
"Let's go get a drink, Tom." Ramsey put his arm around Duncan's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "What do you say?"
"Sure, sure." Tom Duncan fixed Chiavari with a hard look. "I have a feeling we'll meet again."
Chiavari nodded. "Any time."
Ramsey practically dragged Duncan down the street. "Are you crazy?"
"We should have taken him."
"You are crazy! Do you know who he is?"
Duncan nodded. "Grigori Chiavari." He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Why isn't he dead?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know he was involved in the Kristov mess. Why didn't you take Chiavari out at the same time?"
"He saved my life."
Duncan's eyes widened in disbelief. "I don't believe you. Why the hell would a vampire save your life?"
"It's a long story."
"Then you'd better start now." Duncan made an abrupt stop in front of a local bar. "I need a drink. Come on, you can tell me all about it over a glass of whiskey."
Ramsey followed Duncan into the bar. They found a table in a dark corner and sat down. Duncan ordered a whiskey, Ramsey a glass of wine.
Sitting back in the seat, Ramsey related, as briefly as possible, everything that had happened with Chiavari and Kristov, save for the last, damning part of the story.
"Grigori could have killed me, but he didn't." Ramsey took a sip from his wine glass. "That's it."
Duncan leaned back in the booth, his expression thoughtful. "Why do I have the feeling there's something you're not telling me?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
Duncan swirled the liquor in his glass. "Well, for one thing, you look different."
Ramsey tensed. "I do?"
"Yeah. I can't quite put my finger on it…" He swore softly. "It's your clothes! That's it!" Duncan laughed. "You're not wearing brown!"
Ramsey muttered an oath. "You're too funny for me. I'm going home."
"But it's more than that," Duncan said, suddenly serious. He leaned forward, his gaze intent on Ramsey's face. "You look—I don't know—younger. What'd you do on that vacation of yours, anyway, get a face-lift?"
"Yeah," Ramsey said, laughing it off. "I had liposuction on my hips, too." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a ten-dollar bill and dropped it on the table. "Have another drink on me. I'm going home."
Duncan tossed down his drink. "Meet me here tomorrow. We'll go hunting."
"Never on Sunday," Ramsey muttered, and left the table.
He felt Duncan's gaze follow him as he made his way to the door. He knew his old friend would not rest until he had uncovered his secret. And when he did, one of them would die.
Chapter 26
Marisa was waiting up for Grigori when he returned home. He paused in the doorway, letting his gaze move over her. She was sitting on the sofa, her legs curled beneath her, a book open on her lap. She looked incredibly young, incredibly desirable.
"What's the matter?" he asked, stepping into the room. "Couldn't you sleep?"
"I was worried."
"Were you?"
"Is everything all right?" She closed the book and put it on the coffee table. Rising, she put her arms around him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.
It didn't occur to him to lie to her. "There is a new hunter in town."
Fear flickered in her eyes.
He smiled down at her. "Nothing for you to worry about, cara."
"Worry?" She forced a smile. "Who, me?"
"He is a friend of Ramsey's, which makes it all the more interesting."
Her eyes widened. "You met him?"
Taking her by the hand, he led her to the sofa and sat down. Drawing her down beside him, he put his arm around her shoulders. "Yes. Tonight."
She clutched his arm, her gaze searching his. "You're in danger, aren't you?"
"Cara …"
"You are! I can feel it."
"Calm down, cara mia."
"Calm down? Have you forgotten Alexi?" She twisted out of his embrace and began to pace the floor, and then turned to face him. "Let's just move. Now. Tonight."
He would have laughed if she hadn't looked so serious. "Marisa…"
"I'm so afraid of losing you."
Rising, he drew her into his arms once more. For a moment, she stood there, and then she drew back a little so she could see his face.
"You said he was a friend of Edward's. Does he know about Edward?"
"No."
"But he knows about you?"
"Oh, yes, he knows."
"How long do you think it'll take before he finds out about Edward? And what do you think he'll do?"
"If the situation were reversed, Ramsey would know already." The hunters had lost their best man when he brought Ramsey across, Grigori thought. Ramsey'd had an instinct that could not be taught, an instinct for detecting vampires that Tom Duncan obviously lacked. "As for what Duncan will do…" He shrugged. "Who can say?"
"He'll come after you, won't he?" It wasn't really a question.
"I'm more worried about the threat posed by Khira."
"Khira? Why? I thought she was your friend, that the two of you were… you know, more than just friends."
"Khira is not swayed by feelings of friendship or loyalty. She is, first and foremost, a predator. Jealous of her territory."
"Her territory! You were here first."
"That makes little difference. Though there is no royalty among vampires, Khira has always considered herself the queen. And none of us, save perhaps Kristov, had the guts or the power to change her mind."
"She's another reason why we should just move," Marisa muttered. "Why are you being so stubborn?"
"If you really want to move, we will."
"You mean it?"
He nodded. "I mean it. But for now…" He swung her into his arms and headed for the stairs, "I mean to move you in another way."
Ramsey undressed in the darkness, slid under the sheets, and drew Kelly into his arms. Would she still be glad for the doings of this night when she rose tomorrow? Or would she hate him?
He thought about all that had happened since Grigori gave him the Dark Gift. As much as he had fought against it, it hadn't been all bad. He enjoyed the power, his heightened senses, the added physical strength.
He regarded Kelly thoughtfully. She was a beautiful young woman, more beautiful than any woman he had ever known. He couldn't help wondering if she would have looked at him twice if he had been plain old Edward Ramsey, vampire hunter, instead of Edward Ramsey, vampire. There was an allure, a glamour, that all vampires possessed, making them seem more beautiful, more handsome, more attractive than mere mortals.
It had worked its magic on him. He could already see the subtle changes his vampire blood had made in Kelly, too. Her skin seemed to glow. Her hair was thicker, more lustrous than before. He had often wondered if it was the vampire allure that had attracted Marisa to Chiavari—a thought that, at one time, had left him feeling both angry and envious. But no more.
He brushed a kiss across Kelly's cheek.
She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. "Eddie?"
"Yes, love?"
"Did you really do it?"
He went suddenly still. "Yes."
She turned to face him, her arms sliding around his waist to hold him tight. "Now we'll be together forever, won't we?"
"Forever," he whispered.
Unless Duncan discovered his secret.
Unless Khira decided there were too many vampires in the city.
Chapter 27
Kelly stared at the middle-aged woman who stood in front of her, under Edward's thrall. "I can't," she said, grimacing. "I just can't drink her blood."
"Why not?"
"I just can't." She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
"Damn it, Kelly, I thought you were sure about this. Didn't you think it through?"
"I guess I just sort of skipped this part. All I really thought about was how nice it would be for us to be together forever. I never thought about… about this part of it."
That wasn't entirely true. She remembered telling Marisa she didn't think she could drink blood. Somehow, that essential part of being a vampire hadn't seemed important last night. Last night, all she had thought of was becoming what Edward was. If she was a vampire, they could be together forever. She would never have to worry about growing old and helpless.
"Well, you'd better start thinking about it. It's part of what you are now. A vital part, whether you like it or not"
"Isn't it… doesn't it taste… awful?"
He looked at the woman standing between them. Her blood called to him, sang to him, promising an end to the hunger stirring within him. He had thought to be repulsed by the almost incessant need for blood—knew he should be horrified by the mere idea—when the truth was just the opposite.
"Awful?" He laughed softly. "Try it and see."
"I can't." She shuddered, tears glistening her eyes. "I can't bite her. I just can't!"
She turned away when he bared his fangs.
This is what I am. The words played through his mind as he took what he needed, what he wanted.
When he was done, he released the woman and sent her away, and then he bit his wrist and offered it to Kelly.
She looked at him in horror, but the hunger was there, burning like twin flames in the depths of her eyes.
He caught her gaze with his. "I can make you drink, and then wipe it from your mind, Kelly, if that's what you want."
"I don't know." She looked at the blood welling from his wrist, licked her lips, then looked away. "Maybe just this once."
"Look at me."
She did as he asked; her eyes filled with trust. He spoke to her mind, bending her will to his, his eyes closing as her mouth closed over his wrist. He let her drink as much as he thought she needed, closed the wound in his wrist, wiped the memory from her mind, and then released his hold on her.
She blinked up at him, her expression confused. "What happened?"
"Nothing, love, let us go for a walk."
Arm in arm, they strolled down the street. Ramsey felt like a new father as he watched Kelly take in the sights and sounds around them through her newly acquired vampire senses. It was, he recalled, like experiencing the world for the first time. His hearing had become more acute; his vision was nothing short of amazing. Colors were not only brighter, but they had depth and texture. His sense of touch was remarkably sensitive, his sense of smell keener. His sense of taste, however, had been pared down to one single flavor: the coppery tang of blood. It should have been repulsive, but it was not.
He glanced over at Kelly. Her revulsion to taking blood was an old taboo from her life as a human. Once she got past it, she would be fully vampire. As he was.
Vampire.
It still seemed unreal, like a bad dream, a nightmare that would end the next time he woke. Only it never ended. And even though he had come to enjoy the powers of the Dark Gift, he couldn't shake the constant fear that he would become like Khira—a remorseless killer.
You can be as good or as bad as you wish. Grigori's words echoed in the back of his mind. A good vampire? He had already killed one woman. How would he live with himself if he killed again?
Murder is murder, Ramsey, whether you're killing vampires or killing humans for their blood. It is all the same; only the reasons are different.
He had killed vampires without a qualm; now their deaths weighed heavily on his conscience. He had never questioned whether they were "good" or "bad." He had viewed them all as evil and destroyed them. Could he ever find forgiveness?
He frowned. Perhaps he was not truly guilty of murder. Didn't that sin lie with the vampire who first bestowed the Dark Gift? If so, then he was responsible for killing Kelly…
"Eddie?"
He turned to face her, horrified at the thoughts chasing themselves through his mind. "Did you say something?"
"What's wrong?"
He forced a smile. "Nothing for you to worry about."
"Let's don't have any secrets, Eddie, please?"
"Forgive me, love. I've just been having some dark thoughts, you know?"
"
About what?"
"About vampires I have killed. About you."
"What about me?"
"Have I damned your soul? Am I damned for bringing you across?"
Her eyes widened. "You are having deep thoughts, aren't you? How can you be damned for what you did, when I asked you to do it?"
"What about the vampires I have destroyed? Am I guilty of murder?"
"I don't know, Eddie, but I don't think so. You did what you thought was right at the time. Anyway, vampires are already…" She looked up at him, her eyes wider than ever. "Already dead. I'm dead, aren't I?"
"You knew that."
"Dead!" She held up her hands, turned them one way and another, touched her face. "What have I done?" Her fingers dug into his arm, her nails breaking the skin. "What have I done?"
"Kelly…"
She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time.
"Kelly, I warned you there was no turning back."
"I know." She shivered. "I guess you were right. I didn't really think it through. I was so caught up in the wonder of it, the newness. I've never known a high like that before… I can't have children, can I?"
"No."
"I never really wanted any, you know? But it was always an option, till now."
"I never should have brought you over. You are so young."
"Don't blame yourself. I begged you to do it."
"And now you're sorry. After a while, you'll hate me for it."
"I could never hate you, Eddie. Never!" She smiled up at him. "I love you."
"Do you? I wonder."
"What does that mean?"
"Vampires have an allure, an attraction, that mortals don't possess. Maybe you just fell in love with the illusion."
"No, I don't believe that."
"Well," Ramsey said heavily. "We will never know, will we?"
"It really bothers you, doesn't it?"
He couldn't deny it, so he said nothing. For a time, they walked in silence, together yet apart. She was right, he supposed. He had done what seemed best at the time. At any rate, there was no way to change the past, no way to restore the lives he had so callously taken.
After Sundown Page 18
