A Whisper Of Eternity (16 page)

Tracy sighed. Breaking up was never easy.

She finished her drink and slid out of the booth.

It wasn’t until she reached home that she wondered what he had meant when he said there would be no next time.

Tracy felt numb for the next few days. She went to bed early at night, spent her mornings painting, her afternoons doing housework and laundry and taking care of business.

She received a referral from Mr. Petersen and agreed to paint a country landscape for one of his clients.

She saw Bryan at the beach every afternoon. It was refreshing to be in his presence. He made no demands on her and he was fun to be with. Though she didn’t really feel like going out, when he asked her to go to dinner and a movie on Friday night, she agreed.

She refused to think about Dominic. With a supreme effort of will, she put him out of her mind. There had never been any future for them. No matter that she loved him. No matter that he had followed her through time. There was no place for them to come together. An eagle might love a whale, but there was no way for them to have a life together.

She had been afraid that Dominic wouldn’t leave her alone, that she would hear his thoughts, that he would ask her to reconsider, but, true to his word, he didn’t try to contact her in any way.

And that worried her.

His last words played and replayed in her mind, sounding more ominous each time. Had he meant that he would not pursue her in her next life? That had to be it. Surely he would not destroy himself because of her. Would he?

Time and again she was tempted to search him out, to go to the house below and see if he was there, but that would mean starting it all over again, and she wasn’t sure she could do that. Until she could tell Dominic she loved him enough to share all of his life, it seemed better for them to stay apart.

And going out with Bryan would only complicate things. She thought of calling him and telling him she couldn’t make it and then decided a night out was just what she needed. There was nothing complicated about Bryan. He was fun and easy to be with. What harm could it do?

He arrived promptly at six on Friday night and they drove into the city for dinner.

“I had a call from my dad today,” Bryan said. “He wants me to come home and settle down.”

“Are you going?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes it seems like it’s inevitable that I go home and become a cop like everyone else.”

“But you don’t want to.”

“Not really. I miss my family, though. They all live close together. My sister just had her first baby.” He slammed his fist on the steering wheel. “I just wish I knew what I wanted to do.”

“Do you have to decide now?”

“Well, the next academy class starts in October. If I’m going, I need to make up my mind so I can apply before the cut-off date.”

“Well, I’ll miss you if you decide to go.”

“I’ll miss you, too.”

He pulled into the restaurant parking lot a few minutes later. The Blue Lantern was a popular restaurant with a bar and a dance floor on one side, and a restaurant on the other.

They ordered drinks while waiting for their table.

Bryan glanced at the couples who were dancing, then looked at Tracy. “Want to give it a go?”

“Why not?”

Somewhat tentatively, Bryan took her in his arms.

He was a pretty good dancer, though not nearly as smooth as Dominic . . . she slammed the door on that train of thought and focused on the music. The jukebox was playing an old Heatwave tune,
Always and Forever.

Tears stung Tracy’s eyes and she blinked them back. Dominic had vowed to love her forever.

Their table was ready when the song ended.

Tracy ordered shrimp. Bryan ordered steak.

Abruptly, he reached across the table and took her hand. “Tracy, you know I’m in love with you.”

She blinked at him.

“If I decide to go back home, I want you to come with me. As my wife.”

“Bryan.”

“I know this is sudden. I don’t even have a ring to offer you, but I had to tell you how I feel before I lost my nerve.”

“Oh, Bryan.”

“I guess that’s a no.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She had known he thought he was in love with her, but a proposal was the last thing she had expected.

“I don’t guess you need to say anything else.”

“It’s just so sudden.”

“Maybe you could think about it?”

“I will.”

He brightened a little at that.

They were walking down the street toward the theater when Tracy saw Petrina and Zarabeth coming toward them. Petrina wore a short black miniskirt, a black crop top, and knee-high black boots. Her long black hair framed her pale face. Zarabeth wore skin-tight black leather pants and a blood-red tank top. Her blond hair was cut short, dyed black on the ends.

The two vampires stopped in front of them. Petrina glanced from Bryan to Tracy, a smirk on her face. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” she asked.

“Bryan, this is Petrina and her friend, Zarabeth. Ladies,” Tracy said, emphasizing the word, “this is Bryan Longstreet.”

Petrina ran her fingertips down Bryan’s arm. “So pleased to meet you,” she purred.

“I’m happy to meet you, too,” Bryan replied. “Both of you.”

“Does Dominic know you’re out with another man?” Petrina asked, and then answered her own question. “Of course he doesn’t.”

“Where are the two of you going?” Zarabeth asked.

“Uh, to the movies,” Bryan said, obviously ill at ease.

“Sounds like fun,” Petrina said.

“Yes,” Tracy agreed, taking Bryan’s hand. “Too bad you can’t come with us.”

“Oh, but we can.” Petrina smiled. “Can’t we, Bethy?”

Zarabeth nodded.

With a sigh of exasperation, Tracy pushed past the two vampires, pulling Bryan with her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Who are they?” Bryan asked.

“Just a couple of... of girls I met. They’re friends of Dominic’s.”

“Ah,” Bryan said, as if that explained everything.

Bryan bought their tickets and they went inside to find their seats.

Moments later, Petrina and Zarabeth slid into the two seats behind them.

Tracy was glad when the lights went down and the show started, though she found it difficult to concentrate on the movie, knowing there were two vampires sitting behind her. Now that she had sent Dominic away, she was no longer under his protection, making her fair game for the vampires. The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine. Even if she was still somehow under Dominic’s protection, Bryan wasn’t.

Tension seeped into her and by the time the movie was over, she was ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

She clung to Bryan’s hand as they left the theater, acutely aware of Petrina and Zarabeth strolling along behind them, their heads close together.

What mischief were they planning?

“Hey, Trace, you all right?” Bryan asked.

“Yes, sure, I’m fine.”

“Are you cold?”

“No.”

“You’re shaking.”

“Oh. I . . .”

Before she could come up with an explanation, Petrina and Zarabeth moved up beside them, one on either side.

“We’ve decided you should come to The Catacombs with us,” Petrina said.

“No, thanks,” Tracy said, her hand tightening on Bryan’s. “We have other plans.”

“We won’t take no for an answer,” Zarabeth said.

“Petrina,” Tracy said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Not tonight.”

“Oh, yes, tonight,” the vampire insisted.

“You heard the lady,” Bryan said. “We have other plans.”

“And you heard Zarabeth,” Petrina said, taking hold of Bryan’s arm. “We won’t take no for an answer.”

Bryan winced as her hand closed over his arm like a vise, her fingers digging into his skin.

Tracy looked up at Bryan. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing. But Tracy saw the sweat bead on his brow.

When they reached Bryan’s car, Petrina and Zarabeth climbed into the back seat.

There was no conversation on the drive to The Catacombs.

“I don’t remember ever seeing this place before,” Bryan remarked as they exited the car. “Is it new?”

“New?” Petrina laughed as her fingers curled possessively over Bryan’s arm. “Hardly. It’s been here for years.”

Tracy glared at Petrina. “Bryan is
my
date.”

“You can’t have them all,” Petrina said, pouting. “Make up your mind. Do you want Dominic or this mortal?”

“Bryan’s with me.” She knew instinctively that the only way to survive this night was to bluff her way through.

With more courage than she felt, Tracy peeled the vampire’s fingers off Bryan’s arm, then took him by the hand and walked into the bar.

Stepping through the door, she wondered if Dominic was inside.

The bar was dimly lit, as usual. A slow, sultry tune was being played on the piano. Several couples were dancing, their bodies pressed intimately together.

Tracy recognized a few of them, including Marcus and his human companion. There was no sign of Dominic.

Petrina slithered up to Bryan. “Come on, honey,” she crooned, “let’s dance.”

Petrina led Bryan onto the dance floor. Zarabeth grinned at Tracy, silently daring her to make a scene.

Instead, Tracy moved to the bar and sat down between two vampires. She recalled Dominic had introduced them as Laslo and Turk. She nodded briefly at both of them, then turned to watch Petrina and Bryan dance.

Petrina was pressed so close to Bryan that they looked like they were joined at the hip. She was whispering in his ear; whatever she was saying brought a rosy flush to his cheeks.

Zarabeth sauntered over to stand in front of Tracy, blocking her view of the dance floor. “So tell me, where is Dominic this evening?”

Squaring her shoulders, Tracy met the vampire’s gaze. “I don’t know. I’m not his keeper.”

Zarabeth laughed softly. “Petrina will be delighted to hear that. I must tell her, when she gets back.”

“Gets back?” Tracy leaned to one side and peered around Zarabeth. There was no sign of Petrina. Or of Bryan. “Where did they go?”

Zarabeth shrugged, her eyes wide with mock innocence. “I’m not her keeper.”

Tracy slid off the bar stool and pushed her way through the crowd onto the dance floor, her gaze searching for some sign of Bryan. If anything happened to him, it would be all her fault.

She was suddenly aware that all conversation had come to a halt.

The music stopped, and a heavy silence fell over the room.

Like wolves on the scent of prey, all the vampires save for Marcus moved toward Tracy until they had formed a tight circle around her. The air hummed, vibrating with preternatural power. Their eyes glowed red with their lust for blood.

Tracy broke out in a cold sweat as the vampires gathered around her. She looked over at Marcus. He was sitting in a booth, his arm around his human companion. She saw regret in his eyes before he turned away.

Pulses racing, heart pounding in her ears, she sent out a silent plea for help.

Bryan opened his eyes to darkness. He blinked several times, hoping to clear his vision, but the darkness remained. Reaching out, he realized that he was lying on a bed with no memory of how he had gotten there.

Rising, he felt his way around the room, searching for the door, only to discover that he was locked in what seemed to be a small, windowless room.

Moving blindly across the floor, he made his way back to the bed and sat down.

Where was he, and how had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was dancing with some really weird Goth chick while she whispered obscene suggestions in his ear. Bryan knew he wasn’t a man of the world but he wasn’t a complete innocent, either. Still, he had felt himself blushing furiously at some of the outrageously salacious things Petrina had proposed.

Too nervous to sit still, he rose and began to pace the floor beside the bed. Where was Tracy? Was she being held here, too? How long had he been here? And where the devil was he?

He tried to tell himself there was nothing to be afraid of, that Petrina was just playing some sort of sick joke, but as the minutes passed, fear took hold of him. He broke out in a cold sweat, began to tremble convulsively as he recalled her grip on his arm. No mere woman was that strong.

He tried the door again. And again and then, in desperation, pounded his fists against it.

“Hello!” He pounded on the door again. “Is anybody out there?”

“Are you so eager, my little mortal? Then I shall not keep you waiting any longer.”

The voice was low and filled with quiet menace.

Bryan stepped away from the door, his heart hammering in his chest. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves. It didn’t help.

The door opened and he saw a tall, slender woman with dark red hair silhouetted in the doorway. She wore a long red gown. The skirt spread around her feet, making it look like she was standing in a pool of blood. He frowned a moment, wondering where Petrina had gone.

“I’m going home now,” Bryan said. He moved forward, intending to push her out of the way and get the hell out of there.

“Are you?” She smiled, revealing a pair of gleaming fangs. “I don’t think so.”

Bryan took a step backward. “What are you?”

“I am vampire.” Her voice was mesmerizing, seductive.

“Very funny.”

“I am glad you think so.”

She glided into the room, her green eyes glittering like shards of emerald glass.

Bryan tried to dart past her, but she was too fast for him. She grabbed his arm and with a twitch of her wrist, she hurled him onto the bed.

He stared up at her, terror coiling around his insides as she sat down beside him.

“Fight me, if you wish,” she purred, “but it will do you no good.”

He had never hit a woman in his life, but this was no time to be squeamish. Sitting up, he drew back his fist and launched a haymaker.

Her head snapped back at the force of his blow, but other than that, it didn’t faze her at all.

Laughing softly, she wrapped one hand around his throat and pushed him back down on the bed. “Your puny human strength is nothing as compared to mine, you foolish creature,” she chided.

“Let me go.” He had meant the words to be a demand, but they emerged as little more than a whisper, the plea of a frightened child.

“Perhaps later.”

He stared into her eyes, eyes now glowing and red. He swore aloud as he felt her fangs at his throat, but there was no pain, just a sudden sense of lethargy that drained him of all desire to resist.

He moaned softly, and then the world dissolved in a crimson mist.