I’m sorry, I know I sound a little hysterical, but I don’t want whatever is in the fog to get me.
She thought he didn’t believe her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. Protect her. But right at this moment, he needed to push those thoughts away and make certain he could protect her.
I need to see around you. Keep your eyes open. I am in your mind and I can see through your eyes. You have to do this, Teagan. You have to be brave and allow me to guide you through this.
He felt her take a breath. Felt her release it.
Okay, but if I’m crazy like my grandmother and you’re just a figment of my imagination, I’m going to be really angry with you.
That nearly broke him. He wouldn’t lose her. He couldn’t. Not to a vampire. Not to anything. She was full of life. Strong. And she had a sense of humor that got to him every time.
Andre knew he was close to her, but close wasn’t good enough, not now that he knew the vampire was also targeting her position. He slipped further into Teagan, using their strong connection, gaining her vision. He felt her first reaction, a revulsion of feeling his presence so strong in her mind.
Her terror mounted. Whatever was coming for her was close and she didn’t know what to do, whether to push off the rock and chance landing wrong, stay where she was and let the fog reach her, or try to down climb to get a little closer to the ground before letting go. Having made it over the roof, she at least had a shot at not hurting herself when she jumped.
No. Do not do anything yet. Do not move.
She clung to the side of a boulder feeling vulnerable and exposed. Her body trembled. She wasn’t certain if he was real or part of a hallucination, yet she remained as calm as possible, even though sharing her mind with him totally freaked her out. He wasn’t altogether certain what the term freaked out meant, but he assumed it wasn’t good.
The fog is almost on me.
Now there was panic creeping in. He felt it in her and realized the emotion was coming from him as well. He forced himself to shed all emotion. He couldn’t afford to think of her alone and vulnerable.
Look around you. I need to use your vision. Let me see exactly where you are in relationship to the fog.
He pushed into her mind, connecting to the pathways of her vision. At once he could see her predicament. The dense, unnatural fog was creeping toward her. She either had to allow it to envelop her or she had to let herself fall from the boulder.
Keep looking at the fog.
His tone left no room for argument. His tone, his power, every bit of ancient warrior and primitive predator was in his voice. He stared into the fog, using Teagan’s eyes. Even as he streaked through the darkening sky toward her, he narrowed in on the vampire making his way toward Teagan.
A fierce wind hit the fog, rushing through the dense, sticky trap to disperse it. At the same time, clouds burst open to dump rain on the vampire’s web in order to neutralize the acid hidden within the mist. A bolt of light shot into the mass of fog, lighting up the sky, illuminating the interior of the fog.
Like a deadly spider, the vampire was exposed, crawling cautiously toward the boulder and his prey. The bolt nearly pierced him, forcing him to spring sideways, screaming at the intense light hitting him. For a moment he was completely visible.
Teagan screamed and closed her eyes to block out the sight of the monster. His mouth was wide open in a hideous shriek, revealing his sharpened, stained teeth. His eyes glowed red and burned with a fierce need to rend and kill. He had hair, but it was dirty and hung in mats.
“This isn’t real. This isn’t real,” she chanted.
Open your eyes, Andre commanded. Relentless. Implacable. Forcing his will on her when it was the last thing he ever wanted.
The vampire shrieked again, and this time Andre heard the piercing cry of triumph. The lightning hadn’t struck him, hadn’t even slowed him down. He wanted his prize, the rich, fear-based adrenaline-spiked blood in the human. It would give him a rush, give him more power for the battle he knew was coming.
Open your eyes, Andre hissed a second time.
She obeyed. I have to let go. The boulder is slick now, making it harder to hold on to. The fog is coming. I have to jump.
Not yet, he cautioned. He saw the fall in her mind. She’d fallen many times bouldering and she knew what she was doing. He could help, floating her to the earth. Wait until I tell you. I am close by. He is dropping out of the sky toward you. Wait.
He felt her need to close her eyes, but he refused to allow it. He needed to see what was happening. He smelled the vampire now and felt the taint of evil in the air. He detested that smell and he knew, no matter how long he lived, he would never forget it. Just like the memory of his youth, that smell was locked into his mind for all time.
Do not take your eyes off of him.
More than anything else she wanted to look away, to jump and try to run, but Andre held her locked there, refusing to allow her to give in to her fears. He refused to allow himself to feel her terror, but he couldn’t drown out the hammering of her heart, and he knew that sound drew the vampire like a beacon.
Breathe, slow your heart, sivamet. Do not give him the satisfaction of hearing or feeling your fear.
He didn’t want her to shut down on him. He should have known she wouldn’t. She stared up at the rapidly descending monster.