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The signs of the upcoming holiday could be seen everywhere, she thought as they drove through the dark streets, but it hadn't felt like Christmas in her parents' home even though her father had insisted on putting up a tree. No one in the family felt like shopping and they had decided that, in lieu of presents, they would make a donation to Brandon's favorite charity.
Daisy was exhausted when they reached her house an hour and a half later. Every yard but hers sported Christmas lights and Nativity scenes. After unlocking the door, she switched on the lights, then dropped her handbag on the sofa. She glanced around the room. Everything looked the same, but she was different. So much had changed since she had been here last. In some ways, her life and that of her family would never be the same again.
"I'm not going to be worth anything if I don't get some sleep," she said, smothering a yawn.
Alex stretched his arms over his head. "I know what you mean. We can't do much today, anyway, so what do you say we get a few hours of sack time and then figure out what we're going to do."
"Sounds good to me."
Still, as tired as she was, it was a long time before sleep found her.
Chapter 29
Awareness returned slowly. Erik knew it was a sign of his waning strength that it took him a moment to remember where he was. Ah, yes, Costain's dungeon, he thought bleakly. His body ached; his veins felt tight, shriveled.
If he didn't feed soon, he thought he might go mad, but even that seemed preferable to the hunger that clawed at him relentlessly, demanding to be satisfied.
The faint click of metal against metal told him someone had opened the door. Her scent preceded her.
It took an effort for him to gain his feet, but his pride wouldn't let her find him on the floor. "Mariah, what in hell brings you here?"
Her smile was decidedly nasty as she gestured at the chains that bound him. "How could I miss seeing you like this?" Her gaze moved over him. "Hungry, Erik? I'll bet you'd like a drink." Mariah snapped her fingers and a young man appeared at her side. Using her thumbnail, Mariah made a gash in the man's wrist.
The rich, sweet, coppery scent of hot fresh blood filled the air, so thick, so rich, Erik could almost taste it on his tongue. He moved toward the bars, his fangs aching, everything else forgotten but the man. The mortal, an end to his torment, was close, so close. Erik tugged on the chains that bound him. If he could just reach the man, he could quench the relentless thirst that burned through him...
Mariah's laughter rang off the stone walls as Erik tugged against the chains. "He's sweet," she said, her voice a throaty growl, "so sweet." Her eyes went red as she sank her fangs into the man's neck. The hapless mortal winced but made no sound, no effort to push her away.
Mariah drank, her gaze never leaving Erik's face. When she finished, she let the mortal fall to the floor.
"I'll be back," she said, a smug smile twisting her lips. "I'll be the last thing you see before I send you to hell."
And so saying, she vanished from sight.
Erik stared at the place where Mariah had stood only moments before, her threat replaying itself in his mind. He was trying to determine what it meant when the man moaned softly. Lifting himself on his elbows, he tried to crawl away, but he was too weak to drag himself for more than a foot or two.
A string of curses rose in Erik's throat. The man wasn't quite dead. Blood oozed from the wounds in his neck. The smell of it wrapped around Erik until he could think of nothing else. In spite of the pain, he tugged against the chains, his only thought to reach the mortal who lay slowly dying just out of reach.
If he could bring the mortal nearer the bars before it was too late.... Closing his eyes, Erik tried to focus his thoughts, to meld his mind with that of the mortal, but he couldn't think, couldn't concentrate.
And then it was too late. The tantalizing scent of blood was replaced by the sharp stink of urine and the musty smell of death.
Shrouded in despair, Erik huddled in a corner of his cell and prayed that Rhys would soon grow weary of whatever game he was playing and end it.
Chapter 30
When Daisy awoke the next morning, she wasn't surprised to find Alex in the kitchen fixing breakfast. As usual, he didn't know the meaning of the word small, and she didn't think he'd eaten cereal since they were kids. They weren't having cereal this morning, either. Bacon sizzled in one frying pan, there were scrambled eggs in another.
With a shake of her head, Daisy sat at the kitchen table.
"Hey, sis, you hungry?"
"I'd better be," she muttered, "or a lot of this is going to waste."
Alex shrugged as he expertly flipped one pancake after another. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know that, and if we're going after Costain, well..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but then, he didn't have to. If they were hunting Costain, they'd need their strength.
The Star Wars theme cut across the silence. With a shake of her head, Daisy reached for Alex's cell phone, which was sitting on the table.
"Don't answer it!" Alex warned. "It's either Mom or Dad. They've been calling since daybreak."
Daisy stared at the phone until it stopped ringing. "We probably should have left a note. I wonder why they haven't called me."
"Have you checked your phone? Maybe it's dead."
"Maybe. I'll check it later."
Alex handed Daisy a plate, then sat down across from her. "I'm sure they've figured out what we're up to."
"I guess so. Still..." Daisy picked up her fork. "You don't think Dad will come here, do you?"
Alex shrugged. "I doubt it. You know how he is. He's always let us make our own choices."
Daisy nodded. Her parents had never tried to control the lives of their children. Noah and Irene had taught them right from wrong, then let them discover for themselves that there were rewards or consequences for every act and every decision.
They ate in silence for several minutes before Alex said, "So, how do you want to play this?"
"I'm not sure. I just know we need to find Erik before it's too late. He's hurting, Alex. He might be dying."
"Come on, Daisy, he can't be dying. He's already dead. The only way to take a vampire out now is by lopping off their head. Or impaling them with a well-placed stake."
"All right, maybe what's happening to him won't kill him, but he's in pain unlike anything you can imagine. I dreamed about him again last night, and it was awful. I could see him. He's in a dungeon, chained to a wall. He hasn't fed in days..."
Alex blew out a sigh. "You know they don't have to feed every day."
