Dark Gold. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 3

Pay attention to what is happening there. I have a plan. That was the biggest lie she had ever told anyone in her life. And she was becoming more terrified the closer they were to their destination. Why was she doing this stupid, crazy thing? She didn’t like Aidan, didn’t trust him, and she was terrified of him, of what he might be, of the control he had over her. All she knew for certain was that she couldn’t allow him to die.

“We need a plan, Stefan. A really good plan. If you shoot that thing with the gun, will it kill it?”

“No, but if I hit something vital enough, I can slow it down, maybe keep it from going to ground. Then the sun would kill it,” Stefan informed her grimly.

“Okay, here’s the plan. I’ll keep telling you where the creature is, and you keep shooting while I pull Aidan into the car. Then we drive away as fast as we can and hope we leave it behind.”

That is the worst plan I have ever heard. In spite of his dire situation, there was a hint of humor in Aidan’s voice.

Stefan snorted aloud. “That is absolutely the worst plan I’ve ever heard. You aren’t strong enough to get Aidan into the car. And we can’t trade places, because you’ve probably never fired a gun in your life.”

“Well, I don’t hear anything brilliant from either one of you,” she snapped indignantly. “Isn’t it funny how men stick together even when they can’t hear one another?”

“What are you talking about?” Stefan was looking nervously up at the sky, in his rearview mirror, out the side windows.

“Never mind. Turn on this road. He’s near the ocean—no, the other way, down the hill. He’s close by.” She could barely breathe, the air was so filled with evil now. “The vampire is somewhere close also. I can feel him.”

Go back, cara, go back. There was pleading in Aidan’s voice.

He is searching for you, Aidan. I can feel his triumph. He thinks he knows where you are. He’s in the form of a bird—no, something else that flies—but he’s injured. He’s favoring his right side. Alexandria rubbed her temples; the energy it took to communicate mentally was draining. Her head throbbed, her thigh was burning as if she had somehow incurred an injury there.

Go back, Alexandria. He feels your presence. That is why he is triumphant. He has drawn you out of safety. Do as I say! Aidan placed one hand carefully over the deep cut on his temple and pressed the other over the wound on his thigh that was draining away his life-force. He had lost so much blood; the precious fluid pooled on the ground, seeping into the soil.

The smell of the blood would draw the vampire to him. But he could also smell, and the vampire’s scent was as strong as the disturbance in the earth’s natural harmony. He did not need Alexandria’s warnings to know the vampire was close. This one held far more power than Yohenstria, and his ability to create illusions was flawless. Aidan had fought others as strong, but not with such a mortal injury himself. With Alexandria so close, he had no recourse but to fight and win. Even had he gone to ground, the vampire probably would have found him before dawn. He forced his protesting body to move, to climb to his feet. He pushed the pain from his mind. He pushed the thought of Alexandria away. He could do no other than defeat the vampire. He stood very still. Waiting. Just waiting.

* * *

Chapter Seven

The wind blew up from the bay. Waves rushed toward the shoreline below. The stars glowed overhead. The night itself seemed far too beautiful to hide such a perverted, demented creature as nosferatu, the undead. Aidan lifted his face to the wind and inhaled sharply to sort out the information the night chose to share with him.

The vampire was high overhead, winging its way toward him from the ocean side, hoping the spray and sea salt would conceal his scent. Like Aidan, the vampire was wounded, and the blood spoor was easy to follow. Ravenous from blood loss, Aidan’s fangs exploded into his mouth at the mere smell. Tainted blood was the last thing he wanted, yet without an infusion of blood, he would die soon. He had made a promise to himself centuries ago that he would never touch a member of the family that served him, no matter what the cost, and he meant to keep that promise. And Alexandria was far too weak; it would be dangerous for her to provide for him. She had no knowledge of the consequences to both of them should he lose her.

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