He felt their presence long before he saw them. Three vampires were moving silently toward him, gliding through the air so that their feet didn’t touch the surface of the earth. He inhaled the stench of their foul, poisonous bodies. He turned slowly to face them. They were older than he would have liked and powerful.
“Come to me, then,” he said softly. “I will give you the dark death that will free you from your chosen path.”
Brice sat up when Francesca called his name softly. Raking a hand through his hair, he regarded her with speculative eyes. “Francesca. I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” He got to his feet and smoothed his rumpled clothes.
Francesca noticed his clothes were stained. Always before, he was immaculate and meticulous in his appearance. This shocked her. There was even a faint shadow of a beard, something Brice had abhorred in the past. He was almost compulsive about his appearance. He often said it was because he attended so many meetings and press conferences. He needed to know he looked good at all times.
Guilt swept through her. Had she caused this? Was she going to be the instrument of his destruction? “I wanted to see you, Brice. We’ve been friends a long time.” Francesca sighed softly. Out of respect for their friendship, she had never “read” his mind unless it involved a patient or a crisis he needed help with. It had been important to her to be as human with Brice as possible. Now it was a temptation to look into his mind. Was he going to be all right? Had she really broken his heart? Maybe she should plant a subtle compulsion in his mind to get over her.
“I wasn’t sure we were friends anymore,” he responded. “Come on, let’s get out of here and go somewhere quiet where we can talk this out.”
Francesca glanced around the room. “It’s pretty quiet right here, Brice.” For some strange reason, Francesca was reluctant to leave the hospital with him. Gabriel was out in the city hunting the undead. She needed to arrange a guard for Skyler’s room, and until she was certain the child would be safe, she wanted to stay close.
“You know if we stay in the hospital we’ll be interrupted. I really want us to remain friends. Come on, Francesca. It’s not like I’m asking all that much.”
She nodded reluctantly. Brice .immediately opened the door and waved her down the hall. He followed close behind her, occasionally resting his hand on the small of her back. His palm felt hot and sweaty right through her clothes. Francesca found herself squirming to get away from him, walking faster through the corridor and out into the night. Clouds were swirling ominously overhead.
“The weather is looking a bit grim, Brice. Where should we go?”
“You never were afraid of a little rain in the old days, Francesca, before you had to look perfect for your hero.”
Francesca stopped right there at the edge of the parking lot. “If you’re going to be snide, Brice, there’s no point in this. I don’t want to fight with you any more. I really don’t. I’ve always valued your friendship and I prefer not to lose it, but if you can’t be civil about Gabriel, or at least avoid the subject, then our conversing is a complete waste of time.” Suddenly, she didn’t want to go with him. A dark feeling of dread was stealing over her and she wanted to be back with Skyler, or better yet, wrapped safely in Gabriel’s arms in the sanctuary of their home.
Brice deliberately took her arm. “I’m sorry. Jealousy is an ugly thing, Francesca. I’ll behave. Just come with me. Please.”
She owed him that much and she knew it. Brice had always been her friend. It wasn’t his fault that she wasn’t human. He had no idea of her true nature. He couldn’t possibly fathom the relationship between true lifemates. Francesca glanced up at his face as she went with him. She thought she saw something flickering in the depths of his eyes, just for a moment, something sly and cunning, but he blinked and it was gone before she was certain. All the same, Francesca was uneasy.