found me. He had planned to finish me off, no doubt so I wouldn’t get in his way again. So I wouldn’t try and rescue you. When he attacked me he touched my throat. I think he was going to snap my neck. I concentrated very hard, as the website had told me to do, and sucked the power out of him with my mind. The expression on his face become more and more worried as his power started to rush into me. It felt incredible as he was so strong. It literally flooded into me - if it hadn’t been for the magic maintaining the link I would have grasped my hands away. Then when it was done I staked him. He turned to dust and I put it in a bag in my jacket - I plan to distribute it widely so there’s no chance he can return.’
‘So that explains the bulge in your jacket,’ Sarah said cheekily. ‘I had wondered.’
Sarah fell silent. She thought about what he had said.
‘How do you feel now - with him gone?’ She asked.
‘I feel very relieved, because I can do this…’
Daniel leant in and kissed Sarah softly. Her heart fluttered as she felt his cool lips on hers.
‘…without worrying about Sebastian anymore,’ he finished. ‘Plus, if I hadn’t killed him, I may never have been able to rescue you.’
‘Is there any chance he could return?’
‘I don’t think so, but to be honest I’m not sure. I don’t know enough about magic, or old vampires. If he had been a new vampire - like Jo - that would definitely have been the end of him. I’ve been wondering whether I should try and track down Heather to see if she knows any more about it,’ he paused, ‘I think it would be a wise thing to do.’
Sarah’s heart sank. It was as she expected - he was going to leave.
‘When do you think you will go?’
He must have seen her crestfallen look; he reached for her chin and held it up so her eyes met his.
‘I will come back,’ he said. He gave her a dazzling grin.
‘I should probably leave tomorrow though. It would be best to find out as much as possible as quickly as I can, and I’m not sure how long it will take to find her. While I’m gone you should stay in as much as possible. And don’t even consider going out at night.’
‘I won’t,’ she smiled weakly at him. She couldn’t muster enthusiasm for his plan, or for staying in indefinitely. Her kids would go mad, running around - shouting and fighting, if they stayed in too long.
‘Can I stay with you tonight?’ he asked.
Sarah looked at him hard, he was smoldering at her, making it impossible to resist him.
She laughed. ‘Of course you can,’ and she kissed him.
How was this man so delicious? She felt nervous at the idea of sharing a bed. It was so much more planned than their previous encounters, which were based on circumstance and lust. It felt like a new level of intimacy.
She stood and took his hand, leading him up the stairs, to her room. She quickly ducked out to check on her kids. They were both fast asleep, so she turned out all the lights, popped to the bathroom, quickly cleaned her teeth and returned to her room.
Daniel was sitting on the edge of her bed. The bed that, until not very long ago at all, she had shared with Jo. It felt like months ago, yet it was only a few days.
Again he saw the sadness in her expression.
‘Do you want me to sleep somewhere else?’ he asked.
‘No. I want to be as close to you as possible, before you leave.’
She let the blanket around her drop to the floor and climbed under the sheets.
She didn’t know where the confidence came from, but felt like she had nothing to lose. She couldn’t help but suspect she wasn’t going to see him again, not for a long time.
Sarah watched as he undressed in the darkness, admiring the silhouette of his form. Her heart sped up as he climbed under the covers too. He slid over until she felt his cool body pressing against hers. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but he just reached out and held her, his head resting against hers. His powerful arms wrapped around her.
Tingles swooped over her body and her heart raced, yet all she did was hold him back. Taking him in