'Jasper and I have one thing in common. We're both vampires. I'll die if I walk outside right now.'
Jake stared wide-eyed at him. 'You're kidding… right?
'No. While I do not take human blood, I am a vampire.'
'But… you're standing in sunshine now.'
'Diffused sunlight. Watch.' He reached forward, brushing aside the curtain to let the full force of the sun fall upon his arm. Instantly his skin began to turn red. He let the curtain drop back in place before the burn became too bad. 'Because I have been on this earth a long time, I can stand some sunlight. Even so, if I went out there now, I'd only last ten minutes or so.'
Jake leaned against his desk and ran a hand through his pale blonde hair. Michael could hear the struggle in his thoughts. Lord, it would be so easy to reach out… He clenched his fists and waited.
'Does Nikki know?' Jake said after a moment.
It wasn't a question he'd expected. And though he could see fear in Jake's eyes, it wasn't the full-blown panic he'd half anticipated. 'No. But I have no doubt Jasper will tell her.'
'Hell of a way to find out.' He swallowed slightly. 'You don't take human blood, you say?'
'No.'
'Of course, I only have your word on that.'
Michael returned his gaze evenly. 'If I wanted to taste your blood, you wouldn't even have time to scream.'
'Well, that's just great.' Jake shuddered, then ran a hand across the sandy stubble lining his chin. 'In recent days I've seen zombies, and the dead walk from the morgue. I suppose it's not too much of a stretch to believe you're a vampire. Though I have to say, you don't act very vampire-like.'
Michael raised an eyebrow. 'And how many vampires have you met to make such a judgement?'
'Well, just Monica and Jasper, but I've seen countless Dracula movies.'
'The Dracula legend was based on a man. It has very little to do with reality.'
'Tell that to Monica and this Jasper of yours. They're pretty much matching the legend.'
'Becoming a vampire did not make Jasper what he is today. His thirst for blood was evident well before his turning.'
'But turning has made him more unkillable.' Jake hesitated, eyes narrowing slightly. 'Why did he really snatch Nikki? To get back at you?'
'I believe so. He thinks I care for her—' 'Which you do.'
'—and he wants to make me suffer before he kills us both.'
'So you and Jasper have this personal vendetta happening, and Nikki and I were unlucky enough to get in the way.'
Boiled down to basics, that just about summed it up. Michael rubbed his forehead, wondering again if all the years—and all the lives lost—were worth the effort of chasing Jasper.
Then he remembered his brother, Patrick, and his friend, Jenna. And people like Monica, who was by no means innocent and yet who had still deserved more than the path of death and destruction that Jasper's seduction and lies had led her to.
'As I said before, it's more than a personal vendetta. Jasper has to be stopped. It's my job to do it.'
'Why?' Jake's gaze was shrewd. 'You're not in this alone, are you?'
Both were questions he wasn't prepared to answer right now. Risking his life was one thing; risking the lives of his companions by revealing too much about their organization was another. Jasper was still loose, and Jake just might be next on the hit list. The less Jake knew, the better for them both.
'Sometimes it takes a vampire to hunt a vampire.'
'In other words, mind my own business.' Jake flashed a toothy smile that held very little warmth. 'I guess we wait, then. I hope you don't mind if I keep my distance. Being around a vampire might take a little getting used to.'
Michael smiled. Jake was all right. No wonder Nikki depended on the man.
'I just feel so damn useless sitting here,' Jake continued with a sigh.
'We'll find her. Don't worry.'
'Yeah, right.'
The disbelief in Jake's voice annoyed him. Hope was the one thing they couldn't afford to lose. But the rebuke died on his tongue. It was fear that made Jake speak like that, a fear he could well understand.
An hour crawled by, then another. Night approached. Michael pushed away from the wall. At least now he could do something, instead of merely waiting.
Life suddenly sparked in the darkness of the link. He stiffened, reaching out swiftly. Turmoil, fear and confusion greeted him. Nikki didn't hear him, didn't acknowledge his presence.
It didn't matter. He knew where she was.
Jasper was a dead man.
Puddles of yellow light splashed across the floor but did little to take the chill from the room or her body.
She'd watched the gentle progress of the sun for the last few hours, lethargy holding her immobile.
But time and daylight would not wait for her. She had to move, had to get out of here before the day disappeared. The sunlight's waning strength said it was already late afternoon. There was so little time left.
Gritting her teeth, she straightened out her right leg. Stiff muscles protested the movement, and her stomach churned. Head swimming, she gritted her teeth and slowly straightened her other leg.
Her arms were almost as difficult to move, stiff and leaden with cold. Her whole body felt numb with it, her skin icy to touch. But for the first time in ages, she felt stirrings of life in the void that had been her psychic gifts. Massaging her legs with stiff fingers, she glanced warily at the bed. Monica and Jasper lay still and silent, naked limbs entwined around each other. If they breathed, she couldn't see it.
But what interested her more was the door next to the bed. Until now, she hadn't even realized it existed. She bit her lip, then rolled over onto her hands and knees.
The effort sent the room into a swim. She took several deep breaths, her gaze never leaving the figures on the bed.
They didn't stir.
Slowly she turned and put her hands against the wall, using it for support as she stood.
Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She turned around until her back was braced against the wall.
Sick tension churned her stomach, but she ignored it, focusing instead on the padlock chaining the door closed. She lacked the time and energy for finesse; she hit the lock with all the psychic energy she could muster. It literally exploded, the noise reverberating around the room. She held her breath and watched the figures on the bed
It would be the ultimate trick. The last straw. And there was nothing she could do but take the risk.
Her legs were like rubber. Every step she took felt like a mile. She kept her gaze on Jasper and prayed he didn't move.
She reached the door and pushed it open. Beyond lay the steep ascent of stairs. Her prison, and their home, was a cellar of some kind.
Gripping the handrail, she dragged herself upward. The ache in her leg muscles became a scream, and it seemed to take forever to reach the top. When she reached the final step, she collapsed, bruising her knees and battling to catch her breath.
After a few precious seconds, she rose and staggered on, finding herself in a kitchen. Dust covered the mess time and vandals had caused. If the thickness of the dirt was any indication, the house had been abandoned for years.
Her hopes of quick rescue plummeted. She walked on, skirting shattered glass and smashed floorboards, seeking an exit. She had to hurry. Exhaustion was a huge wall threatening to topple her over.
