Promise Me Anthology (26 page)

David hugged her back, all the tension going
out of his body. “I’m glad you’re not upset. I thought you might
have hysterics, especially with being kidnapped.”

“I’m happier to be rid of that scar,” Krys
replied. She looked at the headless body disdainfully. “And I’m not
sorry he’s dead.” She turned back to David, expectant. “So why
won’t you come back with me?”

“I will, now I know you want me to,” David
said, looking around uneasily as he took off his long sleeve shirt,
wrapping the sword in it. “I thought you might want to end things
now, with what’s happened. I was giving you an easy out.”

“I’m staying in, David,” Krys said staunchly.
“But I do want the unvarnished truth, all of it, not to mention an
escort back.”

“You have both, then. I’ll tell you the rest
when I know you’re safe inside walls. Come on back to my
place.”

* * * *

“Tell me,” Krys said, leaning back on the
couch across from David. “I’m as safe now as I’m going to be. You
know all my secrets. Tell me yours.”

“You might as well know it all,” David said
uneasily, his tension returning. “There is a vampire hierarchy in
every country. The United States is no exception. There is a
Lord—well, he calls himself Ruler—and under him for each state is
another vampire, then under them more lesser-ranked vampires for
the cities on down. Danial Racklan—the vampire who was in charge in
Colorado—left recently to preside over New York. I want his old
spot.” He paused. “My benefactor—the one I told you about—is the
Lord over all. His name is Devlin Dalcon. He is the one who made me
a vampire, years ago. States don’t come up for grabs often. The
competition will be fierce. Devlin won’t play favorites, not when
it comes to something like this. My musical ability is my edge; I
hope it will sway him in a tight decision. But I’ll also need to
demonstrate leadership abilities: intelligence, cunning, and
bravery. And I’ll have to fight the other applicants.” David took a
long breath, then let it out. “Those can be to the death sometimes,
if neither participant will yield.” He looked up at Krystin, his
eyes scared yet determined. “I can’t afford to yield, Krystin.
Either I’ll come back to you as victor, or I’ll not come back at
all. But I am going to leave tonight, so I don’t draw anymore
danger to you.”

Krystin wiped at tears that were running
freely down her cheeks.

David grasped her hand, squeezing gently. “I
didn’t want to tell you this, but not telling you was worse,
especially if I don’t make it—”

Krystin hugged him fiercely, trying to order
her frantic thoughts, and lock away her urge to scream at him not
to go. She needed to be strong now not just for herself, but for
him. She took another deep breath, then let it out, moving back
from him and drawing herself up regally.

“I know this is important to you. I can’t say
I’m not scared of losing you, David.” Krystin kissed his lips. “I
am.” She kissed him again. “Remember I care about you, and good
luck.” She kissed him a final time. “There’s a lot I still don’t
understand, but I’ll take that on faith, for now. My stay’s up on
Saturday. Call me on my cell if you need to.”

David kissed her. “I have the number. Take
care, my sweetheart.” He hugged her a final time, then left without
a backward look.

Krystin watched him drive off, then sank down
on the couch, dissolving into tears.

* * * *

The next two days passed agonizingly slow.
Krystin checked the phone each hour, hoping for a missed call, but
there were none. She walked for miles on the trails, trying to
exhaust her body so it would sleep. Yet she still woke frequently
in the night, hoping each time to hear David’s music wafting in on
the night wind. But there was only the sound of the wind in the
trees, and the far off rumble of the falls.

* * * *

Saturday morning came. Resigned, Krys awoke,
then began to pack. There was no use delaying the inevitable. Even
if David was fine, she still had her job to consider.

She was just putting the final pair of socks
in the suitcase when her phone rang. She ran to it, looking at the
number. It was a New York Area code, but the name listed wasn’t
David’s name. It was a Devlin Dalcon.

Krys stared at the phone. This was Devlin;
the lord David had spoken of. There was only one reason he would be
calling her. He was calling to tell her David was dead.

She drew a shuddering breath, then hit the
green button. “Hello?”

“Hello,” a melodious voice said. “This is
Devlin. Is this Krystin?”

“Yes,” she answered. “Is David—?”

“He’s recovering,” Devlin said agreeably. “He
was badly injured, but you’ll be proud to know he succeeded—”

Krys let out a loud cry of relief, sinking
onto the bed.

“Not in my ear, please,” Devlin said sharply.
“You could whisper and I’d easily hear you.”

“I’m sorry,” Krys apologized, then quickly
added “Lord Devlin.”

“You do have manners,” he answered, pleased.
“But please, just Devlin will do. You and I may be on a much more
familiar basis before long.”

Was he coming onto her? No, he must be
alluding to something; maybe to her and David being a couple?
“That would be nice,” she answered awkwardly.

“I’m glad you think so,” he said smoothly.
“I’ve arranged for you to stay an extra week at the park, so that
David may spend some time with you there after he leaves here. This
is my congratulatory gift to him. I understand it’s a very romantic
setting.”

“Yes, it is,” Krys said happily. “I highly
recommend it.”

There was a pause that stretched into a full
thirty seconds, then beyond.

Krys waited in trepidation, unsure of what to
do.
Should she compliment him?
“Devlin, I really appreciate
your calling to let me know that David—”

“You know what he is,” Devlin said, his tone
utterly changed from gentle to bitter ice. “If you stay this
course, there will be other attempts on you. I guarantee it. David
had enemies, Krystin. He has more now he’s Colorado’s State Ruler.
Are you ready for that?”

“I know that,” Krys retorted coldly, trying
hard to keep a rein on her flaring temper. “He told me this.
I—”

“If you stay with him, there are going to be
consequences. I am willing to help with some of that, as I’ve
already said. Go into this with open eyes. Wide open.” Devlin
paused. “Some fates cannot be changed once they begin.”

“My eyes are wide open, Devlin,” Krys said
meaningfully, enunciating each word deliberately loud. “I want to
be with David, and he wants to be with me—”

“That’s how it always starts,” Devlin said
with a sigh. “I’ll say no more. Expect David in a few days.
Adieu.”

Krys put the phone down, the dial tone loud.
What had he meant?

After calling her boss and arranging another
week of vacation, Krys hung up the phone and began unpacking, doubt
invading her thoughts.

* * * *

Sunday afternoon, Krys watched from the
cottage porch as a van parked in front of the Chalet, several
couples disembarking in the night air, laughing loudly as they
brought their luggage inside.

They looked so happy. Would David and she be
that happy, when he returned? There was one thing for certain; they
would never even be outside together on a fall afternoon like those
couples. If she stayed with David, her world would be the night
world: moons, stars, darkness, maybe the occasional firefly.
Could she adapt to that?

There was also her old life, not to mention
her job. It was a safe bet that when David came back, he was going
to ask her to go with him back to Colorado. While part of her
wanted to, the real truth was she’d only met David a week ago.
While the connection they shared was real, did she really know
him well enough to uproot her life for him?
The situation had
been life and death, the most romantic encounter she’d ever
experienced.
But was that a basis for a real relationship? Could
David and she sustain a romance when he wasn’t preparing for a
fight to the death?

Krystin wasn’t sure what course to take, no
matter how many pros and cons she sensibly went over in her mind.
Her mind said this could work, but it could also fail. Her heart
absolutely told her to go for it, that what mattered was being with
David, and the rest would fall into place.

* * * *

David returned the following night, his truck
pulling into her driveway around midnight. Krys awoke and came
downstairs; opening the door as he slowly came up on the porch with
effort.

“Your left leg,” she said, taking his hand.
“Is it—?”

“It was broken in several places, but its
healing slowly,” David said, locking the door behind him. He sank
onto the couch with a grunt.

Krys sat beside him, looking him over. His
face had some bruises, but otherwise he looked the same. She kissed
his cheek, and hugged him.

“Devlin said he called you,” David said
softly, slipping his arm around her. “I’m glad you waited for
me.”

Krys wiped her eyes, then looked up at him, a
smile forming instantly. “What else was I going to do?”

David kissed her gently, then moved back,
wincing. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if I stayed here with you
tonight?”

“No,” Krys said. “I’ll help you up the
stairs.”

Carefully, they made their way to the second
floor, Krys supporting David’s left side. She eased him onto the
bed, then closed the window, drawing the curtains, plunging the
moonlight room into deep shadow.

“Thank you,” David said gratefully.

Krys climbed in beside him. Again, David
slipped his arm around her, his happy sigh loud in the
darkness.

“Will I be able to leave to eat breakfast in
the morning?” Krys asked tentatively. “Will I wake you?”

“I sleep like anyone else,” David said,
amused. “I’m not going to die overday—sorry, during the day—, or
anything dramatic. You leaving or coming in won’t be an issue, just
please keep the curtains shut.”

“Will you need my blood?” Krystin asked
curiously.

“No,” David replied gently. “I brought some.
But I thank you for offering.” His lips brushed her cheek. “And
before you ask, I’m not hundreds of years old. I didn’t see the
Civil War, or even the World Wars. I’ve only been a vampire about
thirty years.”

“Are there many that are older?”

“Some, like Devlin, are easily two, maybe
three hundred, or even older. They’re usually crueler the older
they are. But maybe you can’t help it, seeing the world change and
morph into something unrecognizable.”

She should let him rest. Yet Krys was too
worried over Devlin’s warning to keep silent. “Devlin said he and I
might be ‘on familiar terms, before long’. What did he mean,
David?”

“That being with me will eventually kill
you,” David whispered, clutching Krys tightly. “I dreaded telling
you this, even though I knew I had to. I know we’ve only known each
other a short while, but I don’t want to lose you.” He kissed her
cheek gently. “I’m also scared about hurting you—”

“No vagueness, David,” Krys said sharply.
“How would you hurt me? You forget yourself and drain my
blood?”

“I’m not an animal who is starving and a
slave to instinct,” David said, irritated. “I do not lick blood off
the floor, nor do I go wild when I drink some. Maybe there were
some vampires who were like that, over the years, but—”

“So you just drink and ho hum, stop when
you’re done?”

“Yes,” David said, affronted. “We usually
contract with humans we call donors, though animal blood suffices
for someone my age, and that is easily bought. As for humans, we
pay them well for their services—”

“From who? Not transients, or
prostitutes—?”

“Do you eat a cookie off the floor covered in
dirt?” David said scathingly. “Would you have unprotected sex with
a man you knew to be diseased, no matter how handsome he was? Of
course not. Nothing is more repulsive to me than those stupid
movies where a vampire is staring at some girl’s neck like it’s the
Holy Grail and slavering. We contract with people who know what we
are that take very good care of themselves—”

She’d offended him royally.
Cringe.
“I’m sorry. This is all new to me. I just feel like I’m at a party
I arrived at late and everyone else knows what’s supposed to happen
but me.”

“I don’t mean to be so touchy,” David said
gently. “I’m just tired, and my healing body is painful.”

“Let’s talk in the morning, then,” Krys
offered, snuggling into his chest. “Everything else can wait until
then.”

“No, I need to say this now.” David paused.
“What Devlin meant is that a human who is bitten repeatedly
eventually begins to react to what makes us vampire. You felt
nothing when I healed you, or possibly it felt good—”

That was what had made that last time so
intense. “It was wonderful,” Krys whispered with a sigh,
shivering.

“—
some call it the vampire virus, some
call it magic. But its effect on a human is always the same: once
the lethargy starts, the human gets weaker until death comes.” He
kissed her brow. “But that doesn’t have to happen with us. I don’t
have to take any of your blood, ever.”

Could she resist, now that she knew how
good it felt?
Unlikely. “What if I want you to?” Krys asked
tentatively.

“Then we’ll be very careful,” David assured
her. “Get some sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up
tomorrow. We can figure out the rest then.”

* * * *

Krys awoke about ten. David was lying beside
her, sleeping peacefully. Carefully, she got up, and grabbed some
clothes, then tiptoed out and down the stairs. After dressing, she
made herself breakfast and went over her options.