A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,74

morning. The book I read said that the most common ways to destroy a vampire were staking and beheading. Beheading sounds really messy. Drenching them with holy water is supposed to work, too, but..." He shrugged. "I'm not Catholic so I didn't think I could get hold of that much holy water. Anyway, ash is supposed to make the best stakes.Took me a while to find some. Bet you didn't know that the Norse god, Odin, used ash to make mankind."

"No, I didn't know that. You really did do a lot of reading, didn't you?"

"Well, it was really interesting once I got started.Hawthorne is good for stakes, too. Did you know that every culture in the known world has some kind of vampire legend?Even the American Indians."

"Anything else?"

"Lots of things, but I can't remember them all now.Seems like every country has its own myths. Anyway, keep that stake close by,"Bryan said, tapping the point. "You never know when you might need it."

"Did you make one for yourself?"

He nodded. "Darn right! They won't take me without a fight."

Bryanfinished his soda in two long swallows,then crushed the can in his hand. "I'm thirsty all the time! Nothing satisfies me."

Tracysqueezed his arm sympathetically. " Bry, I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"It's not your fault."

"Of course it is!" She shook her head in exasperation. "I just don't know what to do."

"About what?"

"About Dominic."

Bryanswore softly. "That should be the easiest decision you have to make. Dump him. He's a monster."

"He is not!"

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She blew out a sigh, and then nodded. "Yes."

"I don't understand it."

"Maybe I can explain it," she replied. Plopping down on her stomach, she proceeded to tell him the story Dominic had told her, of how he had followed her through the centuries, hoping to make her his.

Bryanwhistled softly when she finished. "That's some story."

"I don't blame you for not believing it."

"But I do."

"You do?"

He shrugged. "I've always believed in reincarnation. I believe that we come in contact with the same people over and over again until things work out the way they're meant to. I was even hypnotized a couple of times.Did the whole past lives thing."

She stared at him, suddenly afraid of what he was going to say next.

"I think we probably knew each other in a past life.Maybe more than one. In fact, I'm positive I was your son, the one who died in the war."
Chapter 23
Tracyshook her head. "No, it can't be." Yet even as she denied it, she knew in her heart that it was true. It explained why she had always felt so protective ofBryan , why she felt so at ease with him. Why she worried about him so.

Scrambling to her feet, she ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, I've got to go."

"Tracy, wait." Rising, he grabbed her arm. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Upset? Why should I be upset?" She laughed. "I'm living some kind of nightmare."

"Welcome to the club."

"I'm sorry, Bryan, but I've really got to go. I need time to think." She gestured at the people splashing in the water. "And you're supposed to be working." She forced a smile. "Call me later, okay?"

"Sure. Here, don't forget this." He dropped the stake into the sack and tossed it to her.

She caught it one-handed. "Thanks. And don't worry, everything will be all right."

At home, she took the stake out of the sack and hefted it in her hand, trying to imagine what it would be like to use it. With a shudder, she dropped it on her dresser. There was no way she would ever be able to use such a thing, but it made her feel better somehow, just having it there.

Going into the bathroom, she took a quick shower, pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank top, then went downstairs and fixed herself an avocado, Swiss cheese, and tomato sandwich, and then, not wanting to think about Dominic or Bryan or vampires, she turned on the TV and lost herself in an old Robert Mitchum movie.

Two hours later, she put a load of clothes in the washer, then went upstairs to paint, determined that, for the rest of the day, she would pretend that there was nothing unusual about her life. There was no vampire sleeping in the house below. There was nothing wrong withBryan . There were no vampires inSeaCliffVillage .

Shutting everything else from her mind, she focused on the work at hand and when