Magick Rising (23 page)

Hours later, she lost the trail at the rushing stream that flowed from the

mountains toward Manitou Springs. Damn. Damn. Damn. He could have

gone anywhere.

Night tracking was actually one of her better newly acquired skills, but

she still couldn’t pick up Paul’s path again. Not in the dark anyhow. Pausing,

she listened, only to hear the normal night sounds—crickets chirping, water

splashing over stones, the hoot of an owl, the distant roar of cars on the

nearby highway.

Had Paul gone to ground already? He’d need a dark place to survive the

dawn, which wasn’t that far away. Had he made his first kill? A rabbit would

do as well as a human.

With fresh blood, he’d be faster, stronger, far more difficult to stake.

But she had to try. Even if all she ever did was clean up the Destroyer’s

messes, at least she’d save some lives. She could save someone else’s sister.

Hayley noted the location’s coordinates on her phone’s GPS. She’d

come back in the daylight. With a map of the area. If she could find Paul’s

daytime hiding place, catch him asleep, she could end this.

If she was lucky.

Sighing, she turned back toward the city.

THE NARROW STREETS were quiet with very little traffic, no people in

sight. Good. Though Paul was probably in the hills, a mile or more away

from town, Hayley didn’t want to see possible victims walking around

either.

In his newly risen condition, Paul would want an easy victim.

Stealth . . . reason came later. For tonight, the people of Manitou Springs

were probably safe.

As Hayley spotted the Cliff House, weariness wrapped around her.

How long had it been since she’d slept . . . really slept? Weeks? Months?

Would she ever have a normal life again? Working in the legal field,

she’d always seen things as pretty black and white. Discovering her sister

was a vampire tossed Hayley’s life past shades of gray into an entire new

realm. An unreal realm where she wasn’t sure about anything.

As she entered the hotel, she heard singing from the Music Lounge—a

rich tenor voice that drew her closer to catch the words. Few people

remained in the lounge. Not surprising considering the late hour.

Dane stood in a spotlight, seducing his small audience with his

incredible voice. Even in the darkened room, Hayley could see they all

stared at him, their attention fixed. She didn’t blame them. The haunting

Irish ballad lured her as well, made her lean against the open door to listen.

Dane turned, glancing her way as if he could see her in the doorway,

and his blue gaze softened. For a moment Hayley felt he was singing just for

her—his song of love found and love lost. Her chest ached with a sudden

onslaught of loneliness, of wanting what she couldn’t have, not now. Maybe

never. Who would want the person she’d become?

A moment of silence lingered after his last note, followed by energetic

applause. Hayley joined in with enthusiasm. He really could sing.

“Thank you.” He bowed as he displayed a brilliant smile. “That’s it for

tonight. Thank you for coming. I’m here every night for the next five

weeks.”

The clapping continued as he left the small stage and made his way

directly to Hayley. “I saw you come in,” he said. “Can I buy you that drink

now?”

Hayley hesitated. Her life nowadays didn’t include casual drinks. “I

don’t—”

“I won’t take no for an answer.” Dane took her arm and led her to a

nearby table. Pulling out a chair, he motioned her toward it with a smile.

Hayley sat. If she went to her room, she’d only spend it in a fitful,

exhausted half-sleep. Maybe a drink would provide some actual rest.

Dane motioned for a waitress as he sat across from Hayley. A young

blonde appeared at once. No doubt she’d been watching him. Who

wouldn’t? With his blond surfer good looks and lean physique, he was worth

watching.

After placing their order, he propped his elbows on the table and

grinned at Hayley. “Well, did you like it?”

“It was wonderful.” She couldn’t stop herself from smiling at his boyish

enthusiasm. “I’m sure you know that.”

“I never get tired of hearing it.” The twinkle in his eyes kept him from

sounding arrogant. “I’d given up on you coming.”

She hadn’t planned to come at all. “I had something else to do.”

“Mission accomplished?”

“Not yet, but it will be.” She wasn’t about to give up. Anxious to change

the subject, she waved her hand toward the stage. “So you’re here for a while

yet?”

“Yeah. I like this town.”

“Really?” He struck her more as the beach type.

“Traveling can get old, you know. If the Cliff House is willing to pay

what I want, well, I’m willing to stay.” He paid when the waitress returned

with their drinks, giving her a generous tip and a wink that brought a blush

to her cheeks.

“Thank you.” Hayley sipped her wine then closed her eyes, willing her

tense muscles to relax.

“Bad day?”

She opened her eyes to find him studying her. “Yeah.” But then they’d

all been bad days since Lissa’s death.

“It’ll get better.” He lifted his beer in a toast. “To a woman I hope to

know better.”

Not likely. If she didn’t find the Destroyer here, she’d keep hunting.

She shook her head. “I can’t—”

He didn’t let her finish. “Tell me about yourself, Hayley. What brings

you to Manitou Springs?”

“Work.” She anticipated his next question and continued with her

standard answer. “I’m a bounty hunter.” Close enough anyhow.

“Now that’s a different type of work.” Dane didn’t bother to hide his

amusement.

She shrugged. “It pays the bills.” Not.

“Who are you after?”

“He likes to call himself the Destroyer. Ever hear of him?” She’d take

any information she could get.

His eyes widened. “That’s a person?” When she nodded, he shook his

head. “Sorry. No idea. And you think he’s here?”

“He was. I have to determine whether he still is.”

“I hear a lot working here. I’ll see if I can discover anything.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She gave him the full force of her smile. Any lead

to finding the Destroyer would be helpful. He had to be around still. If he

held true to pattern, he’d murder once more before moving on.

Unless there’s another vampire already risen I don’t know about.

Tense once again, Hayley pushed to her feet. “I have to go.”

“But . . .” He started to stand.

“Thank you again.” Leaving her nearly full glass, Hayley bolted out.

Guilt mixed with sudden sorrow. She’d once enjoyed sharing a drink with a

good-looking guy. Now vampires and death filled her life.

“Good evening.”

She jerked her head up. Not again. “What are you doing here?” She

didn’t bother being polite.

Rurik blocked her path. “I need to talk to you.” His voice deepened.

“And I wanted to see you again.”

Her heart launched into overtime as she stared at him. “That’s

ridiculous.” Okay, she found him devastatingly handsome, and her body

reacted without encouragement from her, but that didn’t make her believe

his nonsense.

“If you say so.” His disparaging smile made it clear he meant what he

said about seeing her again.

“Wha . . . ?” She had to swallow in order to force words through her

too dry throat. “What did you want to say?”

If anything, his eyes grew darker as he leaned forward, intense, solemn.

“I want you to stop hunting Paul.”

She drew back, startled. “No way.”

“You won’t be safe. He’ll have had a chance to feed.”

“How do you know I haven’t already found him?”

“You haven’t.” Rurik spoke with such assurance that she frowned. Had

he followed her in the forest? She hadn’t heard anything. “He’s more

dangerous now.”

“I know.” His expression gave away nothing. Was he concerned?

Afraid? “I’ve handled this before. It’s difficult but not impossible.”

Rurik reached out to take her hand, stealing her breath at the same time.

His gaze held hers while dormant hormones shuddered into life, a tingle

beginning in her breasts then dropping lower. For a moment, logic gave way

to traitorous sensations.

“Then let me help you. I know about mor . . . vampires.” His tone held

urgency, and for a moment she nearly agreed, but she caught herself in time.

To learn more about what he knew was tantalizing, but his effect on her was

too dangerous.

“I’ll be fine.” She drew her hand away and sucked in a deep breath.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

Any semblance of peace she’d managed to attain had fled at Rurik’s

appearance. She had to get away from him. Far away. She brushed past him

to stab the elevator button. “I have to go now.”

To her relief, the elevator opened at once, and she stepped inside. Rurik

didn’t follow her, but his dark gaze lingered until the doors slid shut.

Yet even in the safety of her room, she couldn’t shake the tension

tightening her neck. What bothered her more?

Paul? Rurik?

At this point, she couldn’t have said.

THE SUN HAD only risen a few hours earlier when Hayley returned to her

earlier coordinates. A more thorough search along the stream with the

assistance of daylight helped her find Paul’s trail again. Thank goodness for

years of Campfire Girls and being forced to learn tracking skills.

Still, it was late afternoon when Hayley paused at the top of a hill,

glancing at a dark cave in the distance. Judging from the flat path along the

hilltop, railroad tracks had once run through here.

Which, no doubt, made the apparent cave a railroad tunnel. A great

place for a vampire to hide from the fatal sunlight.

Shifting her backpack to one shoulder, she hiked to the entry, her heart

hammering against her ribs. No matter how many times she faced this

situation, she couldn’t shake the dread that dried her throat and threatened

to steal her courage. Every encounter with a vampire could end with her

death. She drew in a deep breath. She
had
to continue.

Paul would be stronger, faster, but she’d have the element of surprise.

Maybe.

Dried leaves and twigs littered the inside as far as she could see, which

wasn’t far enough. Ten . . . fifteen feet at best. The other end of the tunnel

wasn’t apparent at all. Maybe it curved. Great.

She hesitated. The sun would set soon, waking the new vampire. But

she couldn’t give up now. Drawing a flashlight and stakes from her pack, she

faced the entrance and squared her shoulders. If Paul was in there, he’d still

be vulnerable during the few remaining hours of daylight. With luck, he’d be

sleeping.

Yeah, and when had she been lucky lately?

After tucking several stakes in her belt, she took one step forward and

noticed a man’s recent footprint in the dirt. Paul’s.

The new sense she’d acquired over the past months insisted he was

near. She’d learned to listen to that nagging voice.

Wary, she inched inside, straining to see beyond the circle of

illumination cast by her flashlight. Only more dirt, more leaves, and

remnants of animal visits.

After she traveled several yards, the tunnel grew wider than it had first

appeared, and she swung her beam from side to side, scanning every inch.

Paul had to be here.

But where?

Holding a stake high, her muscles tense, she continued. Before she took

more than ten steps, she smelled it—a scent that had grown all too familiar.

Death.

Dear Lord. Don’t let it be a person
.

She’d seen too many bodies with their throats ripped out, too many

people who’d died to feed a ravaging vampire. Her stomach clenched in

protest, but she had to see, had to find out, had to know.

The beam of her flashlight found the source several feet farther, a dark

lump on the stone floor, indistinguishable at first then becoming clearer as

she drew near.

A deer. Thank God, it was just a deer.

A cursory glance brought far more detail than she cared to know. The

deer’s head was twisted at an awkward angle, its throat torn open, blood

staining the hide and dirt.

She shuddered and eased around it, trying not to breathe. Where was

Paul?
Let him still be asleep
.

A low growl sounded behind her, and she whirled around to find

herself face-to-face with the blood-smeared Paul. “Shit.” So much for the

element of surprise.

She plunged with the stake, but he was faster, capturing her arm and

twisting until the stake fell to the floor.

“You’re mine now,” he snarled, more alert now than the night before.

Without hesitation, she swung the flashlight across his temple with all

the force she could muster. It wouldn’t kill him, but it might save her.

It worked. He released her, and she darted at once for the distant

sunlight, jerking another stake from her belt as she ran. She was fast, but he