A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,64
he made a shallow gash in his wrist and offered it to her.
Tracy's smile faded as she stared at the bright red blood. She had licked her own blood on more than one occasion, wiping it away with her tongue when she sustained a paper cut, or scraped her finger on a thorn.But this...
Leaning forward, she closed her eyes and licked a drop of blood from Dominic's skin. It was fiery hot, and sweet.
"It is done." Dominic's voice echoed off the walls like rolling thunder.
"So it is," Petrina said.
Marcus smiled atTracy . "Welcome toThe Catacombs."
"Thank you."
The other vampires drifted back to the bar or to their tables.
Dominic drewTracy into his arms as the piano player began to play again.
When she started to speak, he shook his head. "Later."
When the song ended, he led her to the bar. He ordered "the usual" for himself and a glass of orange juice for her.
She drank it down in three long swallows and asked for more.
When she finished the second glass, Dominic took her by the hand and headed toward the door.
Tracyshivered as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. As though waking from a dream, she stared at Dominic. "How could you put me in a position like that?" she demanded. She wiped her hand across her mouth. "How could you?"
She jerked her hand from his grasp and wrapped her arms around her middle, sickened by the memory of what she had done.
"I am sorry, my best beloved one. I had no idea she would invoke such an ancient law."
"You should have known!"
"Tracy..."
"Don't touch me!"
"Tracy, calmyourself . No harm has been done."
"No harm? No harm! You drank my blood! You made me drink yours!"
"Was it so very unpleasant?"
"Yes!" He reached for her again, but she slapped his hand away. "Leave me alone. I'm going home."
"I will take you."
"No."
"It is not safe for you to be on the streets alone." Reaching into his pocket, he offered her the keys to his car.
"Not safe? I thought I was under your protection now," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"Not every vampire in the village was in the bar tonight."
She wanted to refuse his offer but wisdom prevailed. Muttering, "Thank you," she took the keys from his hand, careful not to touch him.
"I will walk you to the car," he said, his tone indicating he would not take no for an answer.
He opened the door for her, not with the key, but with a thought.
She slid behind the wheel, shoved the key in the ignition, and drove away without a backward glance.
Once out of the parking lot, she knew she didn't want to go home, couldn't face being in that big, empty house, or wondering if he was prowling around below, listening to her every move, her every thought.
Turning off the main street, she drove to the Driftwood, anxious to surround herself with normal people doing mundane things.
"So much for my life as a vampire," she muttered.
Parking the car, she hurried into the neighborhood bar.
Inside, she took a deep breath. Compared to the murky atmosphere of The Catacombs, the Driftwood seemed as bright as day. An upbeat tune was playing on the jukebox. There was a low hum of conversation, the sound of laughter, of ice cubes tinkling against glassware. Even the smell was different.
She slid into a booth, ordered a virgin strawberry daiquiri, then sat back and closed her eyes. Whatever had made her think she wanted to be a vampire? How could she have even considered it?And Dominic. She could pretend he was human, that he chose to live a slightly different kind of life, but he wasn't human and never would be again.
Vampire.She shuddered as she recalled the hungry way Petrina and the others had looked at her.
She couldn't stay here. Even under Dominic's protection, she would never feel safe in Sea Cliff again.
She lifted a hand to her neck. He had taken her blood, and she had tasted his. A bond, he had said, exchanging blood would create a bond between them.
What, she wondered, did that really mean?
It means I can find you wherever you go.
Startled, she glanced around, expecting to see Dominic standing nearby. It took her a moment to realize that the voice she had heard so clearly had been in her mind.
It means we can communicate when we are apart; that I can read your thoughts, and you can read mine.
Get out of my head!She silently screamed the words.
And then he was there, sitting in the booth across from her.