Tatyana looked out onto the bay as the cab moved across the long bridge to Coronado Island. She was anxious to get to Elsa’s house and cradle Charles in her arms.
She was both relieved and grateful that making her way out of the harsh Arizona mountains toward Sky Harbor airport, while being undetected by Nandru or any of his vampires, was easier than she’d anticipated. She hoped the rest of her mission went that smoothly.
The cab pulled up to the curb in front of Elsa’s large, turn of the century house. As she got out, she couldn’t help admiring the ornate and perfect architecture of the building. She smiled and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to flow back to a time gone by. She could almost hear the horse and buggies making their way down the streets, while the laughter of people walking the beach and enjoying life drifted through the air. In the midst of it all, a woman was calling her name.
As she stood motionless, T
Osip ran his hand along the smooth twelve-foot mahogany table in the oversized great room of Nandru’s den. How he longed to be lord of such a magnificent place as this. He’d often fantasize about being in such a position. Who would be his queen? Would it be the lovely young vampire who serviced him so well last night? He chuckled as he thought of the erotic pleasures she bestowed upon him over and over again. No. His queen would be pure when she came to him. He’d keep a small harem for his pleasures, but his queen would be a pure virgin that was made vampire by him.His musing was interrupted by the entrance of Lucinda. Expecting to find Nandru, she gasped her apologies before backing out of the room.Osip was immediately struck by Lucinda’s strong European beauty.“Wait! Come back!” he bellowed in a commanding tone that was fitting of any great lord.Lucinda eased her way back
Lucinda watched Yolanda cross the room with as much pride and dignity as she could muster. The news of her fall from status had spread quickly through the den and, although she still held a position of rank as the mother of Nandru’s sons, obvious disdain for her was openly worn on the faces of the many servants who’d suffered her abusive nature over the years. Some even sported smiles and sneers.Yolanda had managed to fashion an eye patch to cover Dragomir’ handiwork. It created an air of mystery about her. To an onlooker, her proud swagger and patched eye could have easily hinted that there was a pirate amongst them.Morgana lay moaning on her fainting sofa. The pain in her abdomen was unbearable. She’d delivered many children for Nandru, but never had she experienced pain of this magnitude.Yolanda knelt beside her and coaxed her into a calmer state. There was a bond between the two mistresses that L
I waited patiently for Shen to join me in the ice cream shop. I’d decided to take a little time to think things through and ease my nervous tension. I’d walked through Old Town Scottsdale and ended up in a fifties style ice cream parlor with a dish of homemade ice cream in front of me that was just the ticket. Feeling calmer and more amiable, I’d called Shen on my cell phone and asked him to join me.Shen smiled as he entered the fifties style ambience. He enjoyed the decor of that era and I knew it. Sitting down opposite me, he ordered a root beer float before stretching his legs out in front of him with a satisfied grin.“You’re so predictable,” I chuckled. “Just once I’d like to see you order something other than a root beer float.”“I happen to like root beer floats,” he said with twinkling eyes.I hadn’t seen him this relaxed in months. It was infectious!
Shen and I picked our way along the narrow path that led up to the area where Elsa had encountered Bruce. We had no idea what had happened to Elsa. She hadn’t checked out and her things were still in her room. We agreed that, wherever she was, she was probably fine. She’d expressed the need to be pampered. Perhaps she’d decided to take the night off and go to a spa. Whatever the reason for her absence, we decided to simply leave her for the night and continue the search on our own. Shen still had the spare vile of potion that she’d given him the first night we started the hunt. So, if we did find him, we were prepared. We just hoped the one vile would be enough. It would have been better to have Elsa’s vile as well, but we had no way to get into her room and, if we did, no idea where she’d hidden it from prying eyes.Returning to the scene of Nandru’s demise created an emotional roller coaster for me. The
After several days with no sign of Dragomir, Osip felt it was safe to assume that he’d met his demise by that cursed werewolf. This was a disaster.He’d set out to bring back to Count Dracula his half-brother along with, if possible, the Tugurlan cousins. Instead, he’d managed to lead Dragomir right to his fate. Now the Count had two legitimate sons and one bastard son who were dead, as well as the commander, who happened to be one of the Count’s favored vampires, and he was still no closer to producing the Tugurlan cousins or his infant half-brother. This was very bad.He needed to think of a way around it all. He needed to save his station here and status back home. His mind whirled as he struggled for an idea.Nandru’s study felt stifling. He needed air. As he stepped out into the corridor he almost collided with Lucinda, who was carrying Nandru’s newborn son in her arms. Osip looked clos
Bruce stretched his leg muscles, hoping to relieve some of the pain that seemed to radiate clear to the marrow of his bones. When he’d agreed to allow me to give him a crash course in martial arts self-defense, he had no idea how physically challenging it would be.He always prided himself in his well preserved and athletic body. He’d been a valued player on his college football team and continued to play with a local group of Owego residents on weekends just for fun. He was also an adept and avid hunter. Even so, his body was screaming in shocked surprise at the number of muscles he possessed that hadn’t seen action; possibly ever.The floorboards of his cabin’s porch creaked under his weight as he paced back and forth; partially out of impatience while he waited for me to return with the newlyweds, and partially to keep his muscles from tightening up any more than they already were.Our good friends and my fellow escap
Tatyana smiled as she made her way down the alley to her efficiency apartment that was recessed in the back of the small, out of the way Las Vegas motel. It took some time for her to relax and settle in with Charles, but, after many restless and fearful nights, she finally felt like she and her infant brother could relax and begin to enjoy life.She was starting to trust people again. That was a luxury that she hadn’t known since her mother, Anouska, decided to leave Russia with her and her two siblings. Anouska had put her faith and trust in the wrong people to help them get to the United States safely and those people had placed Anouska, Tatyana, and Osip in the hands of that despicable mutant-vampire, Wadim.Tatyana scowled as she remembered the tortuous years she’d spent living in Wadim’s mutant-vampire den that was hidden behind a magic veil in the midst of Fremont Street. Nothing stuck more
Shen’s head throbbed as he merged with the crowd on Las Vegas Blvd while making his back to his hotel. He’d stepped out for a quick bite to eat at a nearby restaurant and was regretting his decision. The blazing sun was so hot that it scorched his bare head, intensifying the pulsing of the lump he’d received a few days earlier.He’d awoken, in the middle of the night, stretched out on his bed with no idea of how he’d gotten there. His pillow was spotted with blood that leaked through the make-shift bandage someone -he could only assume was Tatyana or Maggie- applied. He called room service for some aspirin and a strong drink and pulled himself to the bathroom to investigate his wounds. He suspected he had a concussion.His disappointment in his meeting with Tatyana was overshadowed by his desire to put as much space between himself and Las Vegas as he could. He booked a flight to New York and telephoned me to fill me in.