almost tendern. “You want to come with me. You know you do. You know what I can offer. With me, you’ll have everything. You need to turn away from him.
“No.”
“He’s a liar, you know.”
“No.”
Then he began to laugh, that awful laughter she had first heard issuing from the crystal ball.
“I’m coming for you…. I’m
The couple seemed to be heading for one of the large hotels on Canal Street.
At first it was easy enough to keep his distance and still keep them in sight, but the closer they got to Canal, the more difficult it was for Mark to keep track of them in the crowd without being spotted. Eventually he saw them enter the lobby of one of the hotels, and he had no choice but to follow closely. He walked to the desk and asked the clerk on duty for directions to the Square. As he pretended to listen to what the man was telling him, he watched the elevator as they entered it, glad that no one else got in withj them, and saw where it stopped. The fourth floor.
Mark pretended to head nonchalantly away, then made for the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the fourth floor hallway and swore softly. It was a big hotel and there was no indication what room they were in.
There was nothing to do but tread lightly and listen.
A television blared from one room; rock music sounded from another. He kept moving. Then he heard it again.
That too-loud laughter. At least she was still alive and apparently well. Even enjoying herself, apparently.
He found the room from which the sound had come and there paused. He heard the low hum of teasing voices. More laughter.
And then a gasp.
Followed by a scream.
Mark burst into the room.
For a moment he paused, frowning.
The guy was on the floor, the girl straddling him, pressing his arms down. For a moment Mark was about to back out of the room in embarrassment.
Then saw that he hadn’t been wrong after all. She laughed again, and in the soft light of the room, her fangs glowed. Dripped saliva…
She stared at Mark as the man beneath her began to let out a terrified mewling sound.
Mark swore, tore across the room and tackled her, forcing her off the man on the floor. She was strong and tough. She fought hard, trying to grapple him to the ground as she had the other man, while, he tried to reach into his pocket for his weapon.
She shoved, and he crashed into the wall, but quickly recovered. She let out a screech of fury and threw herself at him.
He was dimly aware of it when the guy rose, staggered to his feet and went stumbling from the room. Then Mark looked into the gleaming, maddened eyes of his mini-skirted opponent as she started snapping at him, trying to sink her fangs into any part of his flesh that she could.
He threw her off and nearly reached the holy water in the pistol in his pocket, but she came at him again.
He ducked, but not quickly enough, and they both crashed down together. The water pistol went flying. He swore.
She was on top of him, but he gritted his teeth, flexed his muscles and threw her off. She landed on the water pistol. With a howl and a hiss, she leapt up, staring at it, then then him.
She started to laugh again. “You are no match for Stephan,” she told him. “You…with your silly weapons. He will have you. He will torment you. He will take all that you love. You think you can hurt him? You think you
“Your woman will die. And then she will live. Not like Katie. Katie is dead. Katie is blood. Just a memory of blood. But he will have her, and we who have served him will reign.”
Enough.
He made it to his feet and practically flew across the room.
He hit her with such force that they slammed against the window together and shattered it. Then they were falling…
Falling into the night, into the abyss.
No, no, no! It wasn’t happening. She had to fight it.
At last, with a jerk and gasp, Lauren managed to shake herself awake. In a raw panic, she stared around the room.
The windows were closed.
The drapes lay still.
There was no man standing inside her room.
