Alexandria was aware the moment the sun went down. She felt an uneasy stirring of the earth and knew immediately that the vampire had risen. She put an arm around Joshua’s shoulders and pulled him close. “He’s coming,” she whispered softly into his ear. “I want you to go out of the cave and be very quiet and stay out of sight. He’ll try to use you against me, try to hurt you in some way. Maybe he’ll forget you if you stay out of sight.”
“But, Alex,” he protested.
“I need you to do this for me, honey. Stay very quiet, no matter what happens.” She kissed him quickly. “Go now. I love you, Josh.”
“I love you, Alex.” He ran from the cave and pressed himself against the cliff wall.
Alexandria watched him go with troubled eyes. The tide was coming back in again, and he was only six years old. Then, though she heard no sound, she suddenly knew the vampire was watching her. She turned her head and met his stare.
“You look a bit worse for wear,” he greeted her congenially.
She remained quiet, simply watching him. His grotesque smile stretched across his face. He crossed the distance that separated them and, lifting her wrists, examined them. He brought one to his mouth and, staring into her eyes, licked the blood from the painful wounds.
Alexandria winced visibly, trying to jerk her hand away. He tightened his hold until he threatened to crush bone. “You want me to release you, do you not?”
She forced herself to be still and endure his hideous touch. When the cuffs fell to the ground, she struggled to get to her feet.
“You wish to leave this place?” he asked softly.
“You know I do.”
He caught her neck with one clawed hand and jerked her to him. “I am hungry, my dear, and it is time for you to choose whether the child lives another night or dies.”
She didn’t have the strength to fight him, so she didn’t even try. She couldn’t stop the cry of pain that escaped her as his fangs sank deeply into her neck. He made a growling noise as he fed, his fist in her tangled hair holding her still while he drank greedily. She knew her life was sliding away from her, down his throat. She was suffering from loss of blood and hypothermia. Nothing seemed to matter.
Yohenstria felt her slump against him and had to catch her in his arms to prevent her from falling. Her heart was laboring, her breathing shallow. He had taken too much again. His teeth tore open his wrist, and he clamped it hard over her mouth, forcing the dark liquid down her throat. Even with her life hanging in the balance, Alexandria fought him. He could not seize her mind and force her under his complete control. Although he was able to compel her to swallow some of his tainted blood, he knew it was only because she was so close to complete collapse. Still, each time he forced her to feed, he brought her closer to his dark world. She would not die; he would not allow it. He would have to force her to accept far more blood to keep her alive.
But even as he determined that, he felt the disturbance in the air. A slow hiss escaped his lips, and he turned his head slowly. “We have been found, my dear. Come, you will see what the hunter is like. There is nothing like him in this world. He is relentless.” Paul Yohenstria half carried, half dragged Alexandria from the cave into the night air.
All around them the waves crashed to shore, spitting up white spray, and sea foam doused the cliff walls. The vampire shoved Alexandria to the ground and centered himself in the middle of the open beach, his eyes scanning the sky.
Alexandria crawled across an expanse of sand to reach Joshua. He was huddled in a shadow, rocking back and forth, trying to comfort himself. She dragged herself to his side and positioned herself between him and the vampire. Something terrible was about to happen. She could feel the air thickening around them. The wind swirled, and fog blanketed the cove.