A trance. A hypnotic trance. Alexandria’s heart slammed against her chest. Somehow this killer had hypnotized the women and Joshua. They answered his bidding like mindless sheep. Her brain was trying to analyze how he had accomplished such a feat even as she hurried to intercept Joshua before he could reach the monster. Fortunately, Joshua was moving very slowly, almost as though he was being pulled reluctantly forward.
Although the thick veil of fog hid her, Alexandria felt the impact of those hostile, unearthly eyes as the creature swung his head toward her, his neck undulating like that of a reptile.
As he examined her through the thickness of the fog, bat wings beat at her skull; the shards of glass pierced her over and over. The soft, seductive voice murmured insistently in her head. Alexandria ignored the pain throbbing in her head and focused her attention on reaching Joshua. She would not give this monster the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her.
Her hand caught at Joshua’s shirt. His feet continued forward, but she planted her feet firmly and held him still. Wrapping her arms around the child, she faced the monster, not more than fifteen feet away.
He was on the very edge of the cliff, his human puppets fawning on him, purring and begging for his attention. He appeared not to notice the women, his entire being concentrating on Alexandria. He smiled at her, a baring of fangs.
Alexandria shuddered at the sight of Henry’s blood on his lips and teeth. This madman had killed sweet, harmless Henry.
“Come to me.” He held out a hand to her.
She could feel his voice right through her body, pulling at her to do his bidding. She blinked rapidly to keep in focus the bloodstains on his hands and long, dagger-like fingernails. As she stared at the talons, the voice lost its beauty and took on a harsh, quarrelsome ugliness.
“I don’t think so. Leave us alone. I’m taking Joshua with me. You can’t have him.” She spoke with determination, her spine stiffening, her blue eyes blazing defiance.
Absently one of his obscene hands caressed the woman rubbing at his waist. “Join me. Look at these women. They want me. They adore me.”
“Keep fooling yourself.” She tried to take a step backward. Joshua resisted her effort. She tightened her arms to prevent his moving forward but when she dragged him back a step, he began to thrash, forcing her to stop.
The monster on the cliff raised an eyebrow. “You do not believe me?” He turned his attention to the woman at his waist. “Come here, my dear. I wish you to die for me.” He waved a hand behind him.
To Alexandria’s horror, the woman licked his outstretched hand, and, simpering and fawning, she crawled past him. “No!” Alexandria cried out, but the woman was already falling into the emptiness of space, down to the greedy water and jagged rocks below. Even as Alexandria gasped, he pulled the second woman up by her hair, kissed her full on the mouth and, bending her nearly backward, sank his hideous teeth into her neck.
The vivid sketches Alexandria had drawn depicting Thomas Ivan’s horror stories were springing to life before her eyes. The creature feasted on the blood spilling down the woman’s throat, then tossed her aside, over the cliff, as if she were nothing but an empty shell he’d found on the beach. Deliberately he ran his thick, obscene tongue over his blood-smeared lips in a grotesque display.
Alexandria found herself murmuring a prayer, a chant, over and over beneath her breath. Whatever this creature was, he was dangerous and insane beyond imagination. She took a firmer grip on Joshua and lifted him from his feet.
He kicked at her and fought, made little growling noises, and snapped his teeth at her. Alexandria managed to move two more feet backward before she was forced to put him down. He remained still as long as she wasn’t moving away from his objective.
The monster raised his head again, licked his fingers, and smiled hideously. “Do you see? They will do anything for me. They adore me. Don’t you, pet?” He lifted the last woman to her feet. Instantly she wrapped herself around him, rubbing suggestively, touching and caressing him. “You want only to please me, do you not?”