Survive the Dawn (8 page)

Gaylen
laughed. “You always were somewhat on the possessive side, darling.”

He glanced from blushing mortal to scowling vampire. “Now I understand the urgency for the laboratory.”

Chapter 6

“Why not use the cellar?” Alex asked as she lazily swirled her fingers around Sebastian’s breast.

Sebastian took a deep breath and stared into the darkness. She put her hands behind her head. “That’s possible, the laboratory could go down there and—” She stopped abruptly when she heard the giggle. She looked over at Alex. “What are you giggling about?”

“Lab
or
atory,” Alex mimicked in a haughty English tone. “You sound like some English—”

“I am English.”

“No, you’re Romanian,” Alex countered with a laugh.

“I lived in England for nearly a hundred years. One tends to pick up the vernacular and accent after such a short time,” Sebastian said sarcastically. “Now keep still. I think the cellar is a good idea. There’s plenty of room. Getting the equipment we need should be no problem.”

“How so? Sebastian, this is a medical and health issue. We have to tell the Health Depart—”

“Tell them what? That we’re doing tests and we need fresh blood so your vampire lover will survive the dawn?”

Alex thought about it and understood Sebastian’s point. Marcus Windham had money and a respected name. “You needn’t be so sarcastic.” Alex pulled away. “I’m only thinking logically.”

“Logic? How wonderfully human. There is no logic to this, for heaven’s sake.” Sebastian felt her anger rising. “I’m a vampire.
Gaylen
is a vampire. And now I’ve got you into this and you want to call the Health Department.”

Alex got out of bed, threw on her robe, and tied the satin sash. She wasn’t sure how this got to be such an argument, but there was no turning back now. “Look, don’t get mad at me. You’re the undead, not me. I—”

Sebastian sprang from the bed, threw on her shirt, and struggled into her slacks. “That’s exactly what I mean,” she said loudly and stormed over to the window. She whirled around to see Alex standing there with her hands on her hips. “If you’d only listened to me back in Chicago, you’d never have gotten into this. You’d still be—”

“How dare you. Who found the serum, you ungrateful ghoul?” Alex yelled and swept the red curls from her face. “If I’d have listened to you, Leigh would have destroyed you and anyone else she wanted.”

Sebastian tried to control her rising anger. She took a step toward Alex, who stood her ground.

“Don’t give me the Sebastian Scowl. You don’t scare me.”

“Alex, don’t,” Sebastian said in a low voice. She felt the fangs protruding, the muscles tighten and expand.

Alex defiantly walked over and stood in front of her. She heard the low guttural breathing and felt the heat radiating from Sebastian’s body. Alex looked up, fighting the idea that Sebastian somehow looked taller. “Don’t tell me what do to. You may have the power in the vampire community, but…” She stopped. What am I doing? she thought, and put a shaky hand to her forehead, trying to gain her composure and perspective.

“But what?” Sebastian’s voice came out in a low snarl. She tried to control the anger that raced through her. She wasn’t mad at Alex.

“But this is us, Sebastian,” she said and smiled slightly. “There’s no power play between us. Well, I may have a bit more power here.” She reached up to touch Sebastian’s face; she was taken aback when Sebastian flinched and snarled. “Sebastian?”

Sebastian stepped back, “Go, Alex,” she said in a husky voice. “Now, before—”

Alex stood her ground. “No, I’m not leaving. Please.” Alex touched her arm, amazed at the heat she felt beneath her fingers—and the muscle mass. She had never seen this before—not like this. She listened to the labored breathing coming from Sebastian.

“Sebastian?” she asked. A guttural snarl was her response. She quelled the urge to run screaming into the night. “Sebastian, please.”

“No!” Sebastian snarled and leapt over Alex.

Alex whirled around and caught a glimpse of what she thought was Sebastian nearly flying out of the room.

She stood in the dark room breathing heavily and staring at the empty doorway. “Oh, no, ya don’t,” she said and dressed.

Sebastian stood on the rooftop, her arms folded across her chest. She stared into the night, trying to calm the anger and fear that still rippled through her body.

Fear. Sebastian was afraid, afraid that she could harm Alex, afraid that Alex would leave, afraid that she would stay and somehow get caught in the foray that Sebastian knew was going to happen. And when Alex told her that she, not Sebastian, had the power between them, Sebastian was caught off-guard. The fiery redhead had the nerve to stand right in front of her and proclaim her power over the five hundred-year-old vampire.

Sebastian scowled and shook her head, realizing the truth. Dr. Alex Taylor certainly did possess the power. Whom should she fear more—Alex or
Nicholae
?

As she leaned against the stone wall that surrounded the rooftop, her thoughts wandered to
Nicholae
. He would not let her go; she knew that. She had only hoped he would.

“Why won’t he leave me alone?”

She growled and slammed her fist on the cement wall. Shards of mortar flew in every direction as the rage rippled through her once again, and once again, she tried to control it. Between Leigh and Tatiana’s death, Sebastian found herself far too angry for her liking. She felt her muscles begin to tighten and expand as she tried to calm herself. She could almost hear her blood racing through her veins as her fangs protruded and her hunger started.

“No!” She threw her head back and howled into the night.

“Sebastian!”

She whirled around, letting out a low growl. There stood Alex, wild-eyed and shivering.

“Go! Damn you,” she said with a snarl. She saw the stunned look on Alex’s face. Then in the next instant, she saw the defiant glare.

“No, I will not go,” Alex yelled back and marched up to her.

Sebastian let out a snarl. “I warn you, Alex. I—” She stopped and took a deep breath. Her need and desire for Alex was overwhelming. However, at this moment, she could not trust herself. She watched the vein in Alex’s neck pulsing wildly and could almost taste the tender flesh she had feasted on before. She visualized her teeth sinking deep into that vein, losing all control, possessing Alex completely until…

“No!” Sebastian let out an unearthly howl and leapt off the rooftop.

She heard Alex’s scream as her body changed and she flew weightlessly away from the old house and into the woods.

Alex nearly leapt off the rooftop in an attempt to stop Sebastian. She was stunned to see Sebastian’s body, in a flash, effortlessly disappear into the woods. Rooted to the spot, she stared into the darkness; the wind howling through the trees was the only sound.

“Tell me I didn’t just see the woman I love morph into whatever and fly through the woods,” she said aloud. She pulled her sweater around her and gazed into the night. The moon was full in the cloudless sky.

“Sebastian, I know you can hear me,” she said in a steady sure voice. “This ain’t over. You have to be back before the dawn breaks. So stop running or flying and come home.” She turned away, then stopped and added, “And I love you.”

She slipped into bed, reaching for Sebastian’s pillow. “Big idiot,” she mumbled, hugging the pillow close as she drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she had no clue how long she’d slept, but she knew Sebastian was in the room, even though she couldn’t see her.

Out of the shadows, Sebastian stood by the bed.

“Come to bed, Sebastian.” Sebastian slipped out of her clothes. In the soft moonlight, she gazed at the lean body before her. “You are beautiful.”

Sebastian grumbled as she slipped under the covers. “A while ago, I was a big idiot.”

Alex chuckled and snuggled close. She felt her strong arm around her shoulders as Sebastian kissed the top of her head. “Well, you pissed me off,” she said through her yawns.

“I suspect that will happen from time to time.”

“What happened tonight? Please tell me,” Alex whispered as she lazily ran her fingers around Sebastian’s breast.

Sebastian hesitated, then realized Alex would nag her until she talked. She scowled into the darkness. “I doubt
Nicholae
will leave us alone, love. Something is happening. I can feel it, sense it. He may not know where I am, he may not care, though I sincerely doubt that. Nina’s whereabouts worries me, as well. I’m feeling stronger. The power of knowing and sensing everything around me is getting stronger. However, at the same time, I’m stymied that I cannot sense Nina. If she were truly there to help, why is she not here now? Where did she go? It worries me.”

“Maybe she’s laying low?”

“Possibly.”

“Sebastian, I’ve been thinking—”

“Now why would you want to do that?”

Alex laughed at the interruption and continued, “I’m not sure now the cellar is a good idea for a lab. It may be too small. We need someplace larger so I can do my work. You must know someone who has a place.”

“There are many vampires in London.
Gaylen
knows of them. He’ll find a place, a safe place.”

“Are there many vampires all over the world?” Alex asked and shivered.

Sebastian pulled her close. “Yes, love. We’re in every corner of the world. In great numbers and in small gatherings. I fear with Tatiana’s death the balance has shifted.
Nicholae
wanted it all while Tatiana wanted to pass the torch, as it were, to me. This is
Nicholae’s
fear.” She stopped for a moment, calming her anger again. “And he destroyed her. When I heard Tatiana’s call to avenge her, I knew it was
Nicholae’s
doing and he sent Leigh to Chicago. I wonder what the other elders have to say about this.”

“How many elders are there?”

“There are three others beside Tatiana and
Nicholae
.
Kasandra
and Marcellus came with Tatiana from Rome.
Daciana
came with
Nicholae
, she is from Romania. The problem now is there’s great dissension among them. I feel the discord getting stronger every day.”

“I hope nothing happens until we find that damned lab and I can get to work,” Alex mumbled.

“I do, as well, love. Now sleep.” Sebastian kissed her head.

It wasn’t long before Alex was snoring and Sebastian was staring into the darkness. She thought of Tatiana, her creator. She had forgotten so much. Five hundred years was a long time to remember.

Visions of a night flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes; the image was clear. It was Tatiana and a summer night in Rome.

Tatiana lay in the long chair, her white hair pulled up and adorned with gold ribbons, and her white toga blew lazily in rhythm with the cypress trees that lined the courtyard. She lazily dipped her hand in the pool, swirling the hibiscus flowers as they floated by.

Across from her, Sebastian lounged in the cool water, her head resting against the smooth concrete rim. She noticed how the moon filtered through the trees and danced across Tatiana’s elegant features. Her ache for the older vampire grew as she slowly swam across the pool. The hibiscus flowers seemed to guide her to Tatiana, who lay there smiling.

Sebastian swam to her side and rested her arms on the edge. Tatiana’s grin widened. “And just what are you thinking, my darling Sebastian?” she asked with her eyes closed. “Do not forget I can read your mind.”