Everdark

Part Two Voices

My back hit the sand as I dropped to the ground, avoiding the blade Eli’s mother had freaking flung at me. Before I could blink, Elise was over me, her tiny bare foot to my throat. As my eyes met hers, she shook her head and sighed.

“Riley, sweetheart,” Elise said, her voice even, sweet, her heavier French accent enticing. “Never drop to your back. Crouch, oui . Jump, oui. But as you can see, being on your back leaves you vulnerable.” She wiggled her toes against the sensitive part of my throat, then removed her foot and extended a hand to me. I took it and, with amazing strength, she helped me up. “In any situation.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, mortified that a very proper lady in her late fifties with delicately painted pink toes and weighing no more than a hundred and ten pounds could kick my ass. I brushed the sand off my skin. “Crouch. Don’t drop.”

She smiled. “One hundred and four pounds,” she clarified, reading my thoughts as the Duprés frequently and freely did. “Seth,” she called out.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, leaving the gathered group, including all of the Dupré siblings, by the surf and running up to us.

“Join your sister.”

Seth glanced at me and wagged his dark brows. “Yes, ma’am,” he repeated.

I scowled at him. Suck up, I mouthed. He merely grinned.

Elise, dressed in a pair of knee-length white Bermuda shorts, a pale pink tank top to match her toes, and her hair pulled back into her signature stylish ponytail, studied us. The late-afternoon sunlight winked off the various rubber practice blades (we didn’t want to get stuck) sheathed around her slim waist, her thighs, and over both shoulders. She looked too petite to have the ability to carry such a load, but I knew she had the strength to toss me two hundred feet into the sound if she wanted. She was wicked strong, wicked fast, and wicked lethal, despite her sweet looks.

“Phin, Luc,” she called, grinning at me. “Come here.”

My eyes met Eli’s briefly as his brothers jogged across the sand. He offered no smile, no cocky grin—only that profuse stare that seemed to pierce my insides, clear to my soul. It made me shiver.

Phin and Luc circled Seth and me, as Elise barely seemed to shift in the sand. Their eyes bored heavily into us, like hunters stalking prey. The boys were just as armed as their mother, and this was nothing more than a test of reflexes. Seth and I had no blades—just our wits and superfast tendencies. Hopefully, they were superfast enough; neither of us wanted to get nailed on the noggin with a rubber blade. With our backs pressed together, Seth turned his head.

“No dropping,” he whispered. “I got Phin and Mrs. Dupré. You take Luc.”

“And now they know our master plan,” I hissed. “Clear your mind, Bro. They freaking cheat.”

All the Duprés on the beach laughed, and in the next breath, Phin and Luc lunged.

Seth leapt; I crouched. After that, I could keep track only of what I did and hoped my brother could handle himself. Luc got too close; I relieved him of three lower body blades before he realized it. I heard the whir of another rubber blade through the air and I turned, gauged the weight and distance of the sound, then raised my hand and caught the blade Elise had thrown by the hilt. Three more followed, rapid-fire, and with a speed that amazed even me, I caught each one and flung it into the sand before the next one reached me. Luc lunged again. I leapt over him, grabbed the blade sheathed at his shoulder, and landed in the sand behind him. A dull pain in my thigh made me drop. Luc had thrown the one remaining blade at his hip at me. Prick. I winced, and he grinned. Good thing I healed fast these days. Whatever bruise appeared would be gone within an hour. And because of my mixed Arcos blood, my own wasn’t quite as potent as it was before. In other words, the Duprés didn’t continuously want to latch on to a major artery as much as before. Lucky me. I turned to watch my brother.

Seth jumped over Phin and had both his shouldered blades flung into the sand. Phin already had the rest of his blades removed. Seth landed, swept Phin’s shins with blinding speed, and had those blades out of their sheaths, too. I blinked, and by the time my eyes focused again on my brother, he was circling Elise. The intense look of concentration, determination, and intimidation on his face was more than shocking. Seth was a guy raised to respect not only his elders, but all women. Presently, he looked as though he wanted to take down little Elise Dupré in her pressed white Bermudas and pink toenails.

By now, the crowd gathered at the surf had come closer, and the boys who had once been almost-newlings cheered and whistled as Seth and Elise circled each other. Jack and Tuba, Zetty, Estelle and Preacher, as well as Eli, Gilles, and Josie, drew close. Elise still had two blades—one on her hip, the other on her shoulder. With wicked speed, she whipped the hip blade at my brother. He crouched, reached up, and grabbed it, in midair. The boys hollered.

In the next instant, Elise threw the last blade, and this time, Seth wasn’t as lucky. It nailed his shoulder, and I winced as he did. Then, so fast, swear to God, he lunged at Elise, grabbed the blade before it landed on the ground, and hit her full force, taking her to the sand and flat onto her back. He had the blade in his hand, the tip at her throat.

Wow. Freaking, wow.

The Lord of the Flies boys cheered, and I glanced at Eli. He gave an approving nod. I couldn’t see his eyes—they were covered by his shades—but I’d be willing to bet they shined with pride for my brother.

“Hey, punk,” Luc said, pulling my thoughts back. “Get your ass off my mother.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Dupré,” Seth said, jumping off Elise and extending a hand to help her up. She took it, and his cheeks turned red.

“Well done, sweetheart,” she said, brushing off her sandy backside. She put a hand on his bare shoulder. “You sincerely impress me.”

Phin propped an elbow on top of my shoulder and leaned close. “Your brother has serious gifts,” he said. “Not many can best my mother.”

I smiled. “It’s his extreme Southern mannerisms that make him so deceiving. I bet Elise wouldn’t allow it to happen again.”

Phin grinned. “You’re probably right.” He glanced down at my thigh. “How’s the leg?”

I followed his gaze to the place where Luc’s blade had hit my thigh. I shrugged it off. “Barely hurts at all.” The red splotch had started to turn purple. It wouldn’t last long.

Had I been there, I’d never have allowed that blade, rubber or not, to reach your beautiful body.

I jerked my head around. So profound was Victorian’s voice, it’d sounded as though he was standing right beside me. He, of course, wasn’t. I’d known from his last message that he’d be back. I pushed my thoughts, and his voice, out of my head—for now, anyway. My eyes cast around the gathering. No one looked concerned. No one but I heard the voice inside my head. I wondered why Eli couldn’t. He and the other Duprés could read my thoughts. How was it they couldn’t hear Victorian?

Because, love. It is I injecting your mind with my thoughts. They’re mine alone, meant only for you. See the power I possess?

“Go for a walk with me?” Eli said, suddenly behind me, his arms snaking around my waist. He pulled me close. “I’m a little tired of sharing you with the whole Dupré family.”

“Some would call that stingy,” Phin said.

Eli led me away. “I’ve been called worse.”

I glanced over my shoulder as we walked, shrugging off Victorian’s voice in my head. My vision caught my brother. Seth waved. “See ya, Ri.” I smiled back. “Later, Bro.” I’d been a little clingy with him, once I’d awakened this last time. The impact of what could have truly happened to Seth hit me hard, and I was petrified that I’d lose him. Estelle had been the one to tell me to back off a bit, and with only a little resistance, I had. God, I just loved him so much. The pain and fear I’d gone through when the Arcos brothers had taken him almost did me in. I’d worried until I was sick from it. Damn, I couldn’t help it. He was my brother. But I’d chillaxed a bit since, and I trusted him. I mean, Jesus. He could fight like something out of a movie. It was amazing to watch.

“Are you going to make me interact with you through your thoughts,” Eli said, his mouth brushing my ear, “or what?”

I stared at him.

“Supper in thirty minutes, da both of you,” Estelle called after us. I glanced over my shoulder at her and the setting sun gleamed off her flawless dark skin. “I mean dat, girl.” She grinned.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered, and threw her a smile. “We’ll be back.”

“Hmm, you’d better. Naughty child,” she answered, then turned and headed up the beach with the rest.

“Do you know what I can do to you in thirty minutes?” Eli whispered against the skin of my throat as we walked. His hands caressed the bare skin of my exposed stomach, grazed my belly button, slipped below the waist of my board shorts, then skimmed upward and gently tugged at the string tie holding my bikini top together. His lips moved down my neck and over my shoulder, and I shivered.

“All talk and no action, Dupré?” Completely turned on and burning at his touch, I egged him on, bending my head to the side as Eli’s mouth moved against my skin. I grabbed his ass. “God, do you seriously need thirty minutes—”

So fast, my head spun, Eli whipped me around to face him. The waning afternoon sun behind him, he looked down at me, a small shift in breeze rustling his tousled hair. Blue eyes, dark with desire, stared so hard at me, I thought he would devour me, right there. “Trust me,” he said, his voice low. “I want to.” He slipped his hands over my waist, my buttocks, and pulled me against him. He was already hard, and he throbbed against me, the seam of my board shorts grazing just the right spot. I gasped. “Come.” He grabbed my hand and pulled.

“Oh, don’t worry,” I promised, allowing Eli to drag me fast up the beach, putting distance between us and the others. “I will.”

There really was nowhere else for us to go but the water; the small barrier island was void of most maritime forest, and what little of it there was housed Preacher and Estelle, and the rest of the camp. That left either the wide-open beach, or the water.

Eli read my thoughts; he pulled me into the warm surf, let my hand loose, and dove under. I did the same, and we both broke the surface. Eli glided to me, gathered me, and lifted my hips, pulling me onto his lap. Beneath the water, his fingers kneaded my lower back, and I draped my arms around his neck. For several seconds, we simply stared, the rising tide lapping at our skin, and he studied me with such intensity, I nearly looked away.

“Don’t,” he said, grasping my jaw to make sure my gaze remained on his. “Look at me, Riley.”

I did, and my heart skipped a beat. It was almost a painful act to accomplish, fully looking upon him. Eli’s beauty was so great; it literally stunned me every time my eyes raked over his features and his body. With his hair wet and sideswept, and water glistening off his lean frame, my breath involuntarily hitched.

“Yeah,” he said so softly, I barely heard him. “That’s what you do to me, too.” He tucked a loose wet strand of hair behind my ear. “I can’t get you off my mind. Ever. You’re all I think about.”

I smiled. “You’re a horny vampire. I get it,” I said.

“No,” he replied fast. “It’s not that. Well, not only that,” he said. Then, those surreal blue eyes locked tightly on to mine, and I couldn’t have looked away if I’d wanted to.

“It’s that whole danger aspect, right?” I asked, trying for some reason not to be serious. “You know—you have to be extra careful with me because I’m still human and you can’t let yourself fully go—” His fingers over my mouth hushed any more ridiculous words I might have spewed.

“No, Riley,” he answered. “I’ve had a lot of sex, with a lot of willing partners,” he said matter-of-factly. “But none of them reached me here.” He drew my hand from around his shoulders to rest against his heart—rather, the area where it should have been. His gaze grew darker, more intense. “Not one. Only you. Nothing, or no one, will ever hurt you again, I promise.” His knuckles grazed my jaw. “I thought I’d be alone forever. Now, I have you.” He shook his head. “It’s like a miracle or something.”

My heart leapt. No one has ever made me feel the way Eli does. I know that our relationship is way more than based on just sex. Way more. This is probably why I joke around and try to make light of the serious stuff. I admit—I’m scared. Of what exactly, I’m not sure yet. What I do know is that I feel the same way toward Eli as he does toward me. As corny and obsessed as it sounds, I can’t stand to be away from him for long. I want him close all the time.

“Oh yeah?” he said, pulling me closer, his smile wide. Then he moved his mouth to my ear. “That’s what I’d hoped to hear,” he whispered, then kissed my lobe. “Part of me never wants to leave here.” He pulled back, meeting my gaze with one that was hooded, filled with a hunger that I’d never, ever seen in the eyes of a human male. It was . . . different. I can’t explain it other than it made you feel wanted. Desired. Craved. Not just like . . . an object of sex for the moment, but more like . . . like a necessity.

Eli shook his head, moved his hand to the back of my neck, and lowered his mouth to mine. The sun had dropped now, and the breeze hitting my wet skin felt a bit cooler. But with Eli wrapped around me, I hardly noticed or cared. His lips grazed mine, his tongue slowly caressed, and I lost myself in his powerful, seductive kiss. And just as I lowered my hand, pressed against his chest, and trailed my fingers over the ridges of his stomach, he stopped and raised his head.

A smile—pained though it might be—tipped his sexy mouth. “And to prove I’m not just some horny vampire who only wants in your pants, we’re heading back to camp. Now.”

With a lot less grace than I’d imagined, Eligius Dupré dumped me right into the Atlantic and walked back to the beach.

“Wait!” I said, sitting in the water. “It’s totally cool if you only want in my pants!”

Eli laughed. “No.”

I slapped the water and swore something filthy-nasty in Romanian. After Eli turned and stared at me in shock, he laughed again, so loudly it resounded off the palms of Da Island. I ducked underwater to cool my heated, raging, hormones.

Sitting around a roaring campfire on a Georgia barrier island at night with a handful of centuries-old vampires, Gullah conjurers, and adolescent boys with vampiric tendencies made for a way more interesting crowd than any other I’d ever hung with in my wild teenage years, or in my adult years, truth be known. No lie—it was surreal. Bizarre. Oh, and Zetty—can’t forget the big Tibetan. The fact that he sat across from me with a pouch of ground-up black cat bone (I pray the poor thing was dead before its bones were harvested, but I have my doubts), graveyard dust, and God knows what else Estelle mixed up made me want to write to Zetty’s mother in Kathmandu and tell on him. He was one seriously superstitious dude who no longer trusted me, and it’d probably be a long time before he did. I’d really freaked him out when I was detoxing on the vampire venom.

I looked around at my other fireside companions. Of course, the Duprés were their same charming, French selves. Phin and Luc sat in conversation, and Luc was peeling a piece of saw grass and throwing little slivers of it into the sand as they spoke. Strangely enough, they both looked serious, and it made me wonder what they were talking about. Gilles and Elise, next to them, were totally into each other, which I found pretty cool, given the number of years they’d been together. Gilles held Elise’s hand, and her eyes lit up when looking at him. I’m guessing that’s one of a vampire’s greatest perks: When they love you, they really love you—obsessively, faithfully, and forever. I liked it.

Josie sat next to Seth; their heads bent together in conversation. Every handful of seconds, one or the other—or both—would laugh at some private joke they were sharing. They’d grown pretty close since the night the humans had been saved and brought to Da Island, and as long as she kept her fangs out of my brother’s arteries, I was totally cool with all that.

The Lord of the Flies gang, all wearing T-shirts and board shorts, sat huddled together, their bare feet dug into the sand. Riggs had a stick that he kept jabbing into the fire, sending a spray of red sparks flying above their heads. Having’ caught my eye twice already, he raised one eyebrow and grinned. I shook my head. Just what a juvenile guy needed—the sensual tendency of a vampire. He’d been bad enough when he was just plain teenage pubescent Riggs. Now? Good God. I couldn’t help but like the kid, though. I’d watched him spar with a boy named Jacoby—both about the same size, same height. Riggs was fast, and he moved with such grace, he’d seemed to be floating. Like Seth, he’d matured physically, and he was damn fast. Mentally, as well—to a certain extent. I’d witnessed his intense concentration while he was sparring. Gone was the awkward gangliness of a fifteen-year-old. I was seriously impressed. I felt sorry for all parents of young available girls in Savannah.

Estelle and Preacher sat on one side of me, Jack and Tuba on the other side of them. Every once in a while Tuba would slip me a glance, then grin, his wide white smile seemingly glowing in the dark.

Gilles cleared his throat, and we all turned our heads toward him. The firelight played against the age lines grooved into his face by life, prior to becoming a vampire. His eyes, that same shocking Dupré blue, looked like glass as the amber light from the flames reflected in their depths. He glanced around. “You’ve all done well and have worked hard at honing your new skills. I remember, way back when, after I’d gained my own talents. Not an easy accomplishment.” He gave a short nod. “I am proud.”

A low murmur ran through the boys, pride evident on their faces.

“As you have acquired vampiric tendencies, there are things we will expect of you. You are all custodians of the city.” Gilles’ gaze searched the group of boys, and he smiled. “Non . That does not mean you must clean up, although if the notion strikes you, it would be an admirable thing to do.”

The crowd chuckled, and Gilles continued.

“That means you are now like us—guardians. And things will be expected of you as such. You will watch over the city and keep the humans safe. If you use your tendencies against the humans, you will first be brought to trial, here. With Preacher and his dark ones.”

The boys all looked around.

“And if they deem it necessary, we will relinquish your skills from you,” he said.

Understanding lit the boys’ eyes but fear quickly replaced it. That meant the Duprés would have no choice but to kill them. I prayed it never came to that.

“Now,” Gilles continued, “we leave here in two days. You’ll return to your homes, to school, and you will set examples for others your age.” The smile he gave did two things: It warmed and chilled at the same time. Weird. “We’ll be watching.”

The boys got up and headed to their tents. Their silence meant they were thinking about all that—hard. Good. They needed to. I didn’t want to have to make any more trips to the police station to bail their asses out for doing stupid stuff.

“Gilles, stop,” said Elise softly, playfully smacking Gilles on his thigh. He wore a pair of plaid Bermuda shorts and a white Da Plat Eye T-shirt and flip-flops. He cracked my ass up. Gilles rose, pulling his wife up with him. He eyed me, grinned, then turned back to the small crowd. “You boys will no longer require as much sleep as before. Don’t sit around idly. Read. Study. Make your mind sharp. Play sports.” He thought for a moment. “I always fancied football. Rather, soccer.” With a nod, he pulled his wife along. “Adieu.”

The rest of the crowd dispersed. Preacher leaned over and patted my head. “You be good, child,” he said, his satiny skin shining in the firelight. “Don’t forget your tea.” He grinned, Estelle giggled, and they disappeared toward the tents.

“We’re gonna go for a walk,” Seth said, Josie at his side. “See ya in the morning.”

“Night,” I said, and followed them with my eyes until the shadows swallowed them. Eli and I were left alone by the fire.

“Were you making fun of my father?” Eli whispered. I sat between his thighs, and his arms slipped around my waist. “Shame, shame, Riley Poe.”

I tilted my head upward to look at him. The glow from the fire flicked shadows against his face, and I swear, I’d never seen a more beautiful soul in my life. “I’m not. It’s just . . . funny. I’m used to seeing him dress so formal. Those flip-flops are a kick in the ass.”

Eli’s arms tightened around me, pulling me close. “Yeah, I know.” He settled me in a way that I didn’t have to crank my neck at such an awkward angle to see him. “How do you feel?” he asked seriously. “Ready to go home?”

I thought about it. I’d experienced short bursts of weird feelings, and I couldn’t describe them if I tried. They were almost like little electric jolts. But I didn’t want to attack anyone anymore, so that was a good thing. “Yeah, I am. Ready to see Nyx and my dog—so ready to get back to work,” I said. I twined my fingers through his. “I miss my artwork. The smell of the ink. My music.” I laughed. “I even miss the hum of the Widow.” I met his gaze. “Just keep an eye on me for a while, huh? I don’t wanna slip up and accidentally hurt someone.”

“I guess I can do that,” he said with a grin. He nuzzled my neck, and his mouth brushing my skin gave me goose bumps. “I’ll be glad to have solid walls, a solid bed to take you in,” he whispered, his gaze locking with mine. “Water sex is great, but I’m ready for a soft bed.” He shrugged. “Or a hard brick wall.”

Memories of Eli taking me against the wall in my bedroom rushed through me, followed by a thrill that made my skin flush. “All that nasty sex will have to be tuned down a bit, Romeo,” I said. “My brother lives with me. Remember? Don’t wanna gross him out and scar him forever.”

His fingers splayed against my bare stomach, caressing my hip. “I guess we’ll have to go to my place.”

I studied his face for several moments, enjoying the rush of sensation that came with his fingers dragging across my skin. “You don’t feel the urge to drain my blood anymore?” I asked. “Like before?”

Eli shook his head. “It’s still there, just not as compelling as before,” he answered. “Your DNA has changed, Riley. Your blood type is still unique, but it doesn’t make me crazy like before.” His eyes grew dark as they searched mine. “You make me crazy now. Insane-crazy. And I crave you instead of your blood.”

I leaned into him. “I think I dig that, Dupré,” I said, and slipped my hand up to grasp the back of his neck, pulling his mouth closer to mine. I grazed my lips against his, and it caused an immediate reaction in Eli. His tongue swept over mine, caressed, and he kissed me long. An acorn popped in the fire, breaking our trance. I pulled back and looked at Eli.

“Hey,” I said, scooting back and smiling. “Make the face.”

“What?” Eli said, then rolled his eyes. “Come on, Riley. Jesus.”

“Make it,” I egged. “Please?”

Eli studied me for a few seconds, grinned, then shook his head. “God, you’re a freak—you know that, right?”

I smiled and tucked a long fuchsia red strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, and proud of it, too. Now, come on, do it.”

Eli’s face contorted in the blink of an eye; jaw unhinged, fangs long and exaggerated, eyes pure white with a red pinpoint pupil. I jumped, then stared in fascination.

“Whoa,” I said in a low voice, completely enthralled. “Wicked.”

Just that fast, his features relaxed and transformed back into the beauty of Eli. He again shook his head. “You are one cheap date, Poe. A freakishly cool, cheap date.” He leaned down and kissed me breathless. “I like that about you.”

I have to admit—I had no complaints. And the way Eli made me feel? It was indescribable. He literally made my heart soar, as if my heart had a motor on it and were flying up an empty highway. As I leaned back against his chest, his steely arms wrapped completely around me and his chin propped on my shoulder, I closed my eyes. Pretending was easy enough—I was a young girl in the prime of my life, with a hot, devoted boyfriend, a rockin’ tattoo shop, booming business, a loving, extended Gullah family, and an adorable brother whom I loved with all my heart. I could pretend everything was normal and the world at my fingertips. I could actually almost forget that two strigoi vamps had bitten me, introduced their wicked-strong venom into my body, and left me with unpredictable tendencies—and that one of the vamps wanted me. Badly. And that he would not stop until he had me.

At some point, I fell asleep; so relaxed and exhausted that I didn’t remember Eli carrying me to our tent. I don’t know how long I slept. But I damn sure remember being awakened....

Riley? Wake up, love. I know you are wrapped in the arms of a Dupré, and as much as I despise it, for now, I can do nothing more than accept it. Only because I cannot be there myself and I wouldn’t dare think of restraining your powerful sexual desires. It causes me physical pain to be away from you, so the only thing I can do to relieve some of the anguish is to connect our thoughts. Imagine me instead of him, Riley, and us blessedly alone. Imagine my arms holding you, my hands touching you, our bodies pressed together. Imagine right now my mouth on yours, our tongues entwined, and my fingers sliding over your soft, bare skin until they reach a place that makes you lose your mind with desire for me. I promise, you’d never long for another again. So powerful my memory is of our short physical time together, I can actually inhale and smell your scent, taste you on my tongue—

“Riley, wake up.”

I darted straight up and looked around. “What?”

Eli laughed. “Sorry—I didn’t mean to scare you.” He pushed my disheveled hair off my face. “Father and Mother are up. Pacing.” He grinned. “Time to train.”

Putting on my best poker face, I shrugged off the heady dream-conversation—one-sided though it may have been—with Victorian Arcos, pulled on a clean bikini top and board shorts, and ducked out of the tent for two more days of training. I wasn’t positive how long I could hide the messages I’d been receiving from Victorian, and I wasn’t sure how it was that Eli hadn’t detected them yet. He often slipped, uninvited, into my thoughts. To be frank, I usually didn’t mind. It was kind of ... a turn-on. Kinky, I know, but I’d never been accused of being prim and proper. This was one time, though, I was glad Eli had stayed out of my head. When the time was right, and if I thought he proved a real threat, I’d let Eli and his family know of Victorian’s torment of my private thoughts. For now, though, I could handle it. I’d dealt with horny pervs nearly my entire adult life, and while Victorian Arcos was a bit . . . stronger, when all was broken down, he proved to be nothing more than a horny twenty-one-year-old dude. Add in the strigoi aspect of it and, okay—you had an extremely powerful, horny twenty-one-year-old dude. But I was no longer a mere mortal. I had strigoi tendencies. And I could damn well handle my own freaking self. I knew if I told Eli, he’d go ballistic, and there was no telling what he’d do. I wanted this right now. Peace; the newness of our relationship and all that it entailed. In other words, I was selfish. I wanted Eli to myself for at least a little while, and minus the stress and anger of dealing with Victorian. I knew it wouldn’t last long, anyway. All in all, though, I felt a little down. I knew the past few weeks had been unrealistic and idyllic, living on a barrier island far away from the reality of strigoi, Arcoses, newlings, and a world where human life meant nothing, their blood consumed in the most gruesome of ways. I had a gut feeling nasty changes were upon us. A fresh batch of newlings had suffered and survived a strigoi quickening; they’d be hungry and out of control. They’d feed, kill, as well as change other humans. It was time to step back into reality, and this time, I’d go in with my eyes wide-open. I had tendencies. And I was freaking ready to use them.

Two days later . . .

It felt funny being back on the mainland. This was maybe because I knew I had emerged a different sort of human, or maybe because I was keeping a big-ass secret from the mortals of Savannah. I knew what Seth and I were, what Preacher and his family were, and what the Duprés were. I knew Riggs and the other boys were no longer regular teenage guys. I knew Zetty was more than a big Tibetan bouncer from Kathmandu with wicked tats on his forehead. We’d all changed. Maybe just knowing that made things seem so . . . weird. I hoped like hell I’d get used to it.

Seth rode with Gilles and Elise (yes, vamps drive and they have a kick-ass liquid silver Lexus) while I rode on the back of Eli’s bike. Phin and Luc drove the boys all home, and, as far as their parents were concerned, they’d all been away at a special camp. At Gilles’ request, they’d all—Seth included—continued their schoolwork so they wouldn’t fall behind. A little mind control had to be issued, to the parents, principal, and teachers, but hey—the job was now done. It was the weekend, and school started back on Monday. No sweat.

Gilles dropped Seth and Josie off at Inksomnia, and Eli pulled next to the curb. Before my ass even cleared the bike’s seat, the front door of my ink shop flew open and Nyx bounced out like some crazed Jack Russell on crack, an excited, barking Chaz on her heels. My heart nearly popped, I was so excited to see my friend and my dog.

We all prepared for hugs and licks.

“Riley! Seth! Oh my God, you’re finally home!” Nyx said. Even with a pair of chunky Goth Mary-Janes, striped stockings, and black leather miniskirt, she was freaking fast. She launched herself first at Seth, and hugged him so tightly, I thought my brother wouldn’t breathe for a week. But Seth wrapped his lanky arms around her just as tightly. In theory, they hadn’t truly seen each other in almost two months—ever since Seth began the early stages of quickening.

“Wow—look at you,” Nyx said, physically turning

Seth around. He good-naturedly allowed her to spin him several times. Finally, she stopped and stared at him in awe. “You’re . . . buff, dude. And tanned.”

Seth grinned. “Right? Crazy, huh?” He flexed his biceps. “Check this out.”

Nyx grasped it and squeezed. Her eyes widened. “Gullah magic did you good, boy.”

Seth glanced at me, then grinned widely. “Absolutely. And Nyx”—he wrapped his arms around her again and buried his face in her neck—“I missed you.”

Nyx’s big blue eyes, always full of every emotion she was feeling, misted with tears. She hugged him tightly, then pulled back; she pushed his hair off his forehead. “I missed you, too, Bro. It’s great to have you home again.” She grasped his face gently and peered into his eyes. “I don’t ever want you to leave again.”

Seth’s cheeks turned red. “I won’t, Nyx. Promise.” He pulled away and knelt down. “Hey, boy!” he said to Chaz, and scrubbed him hard between the ears. Chaz licked his face and wagged his tailless rump.

My brother always could melt a heart—even a dog’s heart.

“And look at you!” Nyx said, turning to me. Her eyes widened again as she checked me out. She pulled me into a big tight hug. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you tanned!” She pulled back and held her pale arm next to my now-browned one. She grinned. “It looks good on you, Ri.” She gave me another hug. “Gosh, I missed you guys! It’s been so lonely here without you.” She immediately turned to Josie and gave her a squeeze; then she turned to Eli and hugged him, too. “Hey, Eli, it’s good to see you again.” She gave him a broad smile. “Thanks for returning my family to me.”

Eli returned the smile and nodded. “My pleasure.”

Nyx’s face suddenly froze; then she turned. “Oh my God—I have a guy in the chair!”

We all watched Nyx hurry inside Inksomnia.

“She’s a great friend,” I said, really to no one.

“You’re lucky to have her,” Eli said, then touched my elbow to lead me inside. I whistled for Chaz, who hurried in ahead of us. The moment the scent of my ink shop hit my nose, I inhaled. It truly was great to be home.

For three straight days, all was perfect; quiet, without the first dream, or further trespassing of my thoughts by Victorian Arcos. Ned Gillespie (the guy with tendencies who’d been bitten by Josie many years before) had nothing to report in regard to any vampiric activity in the Savannah area. Seth and the guys started back to school, and not surprisingly, Seth did so with enthusiasm. He’d always liked school, loved learning, and was a freaking wizard at science. For all of three solid days and nights, my world was settled. God Almighty, I wished it could have lasted. Deep down inside, I’d known better.

Standing at my station, I cracked my neck, rotated it a few times back and forth to loosen up the muscles, and patted the bench. “Hop on,” I instructed an older ranger, maybe late thirties and already adorned with several pieces of art. “And lose the shirt, sunshine, unless you think I can ink you through all that camo.”

The man laughed, unbuttoned his work shirt, and shrugged out of it. “Yes, ma’am.”

I’d felt like having a classics day, and to me nothing was better than a hoppin’ day at Inksomnia, with lots of good-natured customers and old rock blasting through the speakers. Heart’s “Barracuda” pulled me into that groove I loved being in when inking someone— especially someone who was not a tat virgin, like this guy.

“Nice boots,” he said, climbing onto the bench and lying facedown.

I glanced down at my thigh-high black boots that ended just where the hem of my black leather miniskirt began. I’d picked out a Blondie T-shirt, along with a pair of pink plaid suspenders to wear with the skirt—pretty kick-ass if you asked me. “Thanks,” I said, giving him a broad smile. “Ready?”

“I deploy tomorrow,” he replied, in a heavy smoker’s voice. “I’m always ready, honey.”

Rangers kicked ass. I gave him a smile and punched his arm. “Hurry home.”

I transferred the image I’d sketched and printed out from my computer onto his left flank—just about the only place left on his back. It was a wicked-cool skeleton soldier’s head, cigarette clenched between its teeth, wearing a World War II helmet with the words “Fuck Off” across the front of it. Gotta love it. Once the transfer dried, I lined up my ink pots, grasped the needle, and let the Widow’s hum mix with Heart’s lyrics, and together they pulled me into my work. I’d preferred to have stayed there, uninterrupted, in my “Barracuda” zone until the job was done. No such freaking luck. I’d just finished the helmet’s chin strap and was blotting blood when the interruption occurred.

I fed last night, Riley. I’ve never enjoyed it—not like my brother. But it’s necessary for me to live. I promise—I show mercy, and I feed only when I begin to grow weak, and I take only enough to sustain me. I do not butcher those I take from. I hope you believe me. It hurts to think you believe me a monster.

I froze, needle poised over skin, and felt my insides grow cold. Victorian’s voice was so . . . inside me, I could almost feel the tenor of his voice reverberating off my bones. Now he was sharing his kills with me? The thought made my blood chill. And, he wanted my sympathy? What kind of freak-vamp was he? Wide-ass awake and his voice was just as strong, just as real as if he were in the room, standing right beside me. I glanced around, just to make sure.

“What’s wrong?” Nyx said from her station.

Mentally, I could do nothing but shake it off. I damn sure couldn’t tell Nyx what had happened. I sighed, stretched my back, and cracked my neck. “Nothing. Just a little stiff.” I grinned at her. “I’m fine.”

Nyx eyed me for a second or two longer, shrugged, and went back to work. For once, I felt sort of glad that Eli wasn’t around. He would have zeroed right in on my thoughts and all hell would’ve broken loose for damn sure. Eli Dupré had a short fuse and would go off like a wild man, had he known Victorian Arcos was tormenting me in my thoughts. Good thing I was a big girl and could take care of myself.

For the rest of the day, the voices continued. All Victorian’s voice, of course, but just when I’d think he was finished, he’d whisper something else, something unsettling, terrifying, inside my head. It was getting harder and harder to mask it.

Nyx had just left, my last customer was out the door, and I was on my way up the steps to my apartment to wait for Eli when Victorian interrupted once more.

Does it bother you to know I think of you when I feed? I feel you must know the truth, for it’s thoughts of you, your body bare and slick with the sweat of our lovemaking, and my cock buried deep inside you, your legs wrapped around me, begging me for more, that keep me merciful. They . . . settle me. Does that make sense? I confess, it’s a unique characteristic I didn’t have before tasting your blood. Before part of you entered me, before we were . . . connected.

“Leave me alone!” I yelled out loud. “I swear to God—I’ll kill you myself!” My heart, although uncharacteristically slow nowadays, beat hard, loud, and my breath hitched as I took the steps two at a time. Just as I kicked off my thigh-high boots and skirt, I heard the back door slam shut.

“I’m home!” Seth yelled.

“Okay,” I answered, not wanting him to know how upset I truly was.

My mind reeling, I peeled out of the rest of my clothes, grabbed a pair of black yoga pants and a sports bra, stretched, and took my frustrations out on my workout bag. I don’t know how long I was at it, but I never did hear Eli enter the apartment, or my room, and God knows how long he’d been standing there, reading my freaking thoughts.

“You’ve been dreaming of him again,” Eli said, his eyes hard, his voice low, and uncharacteristically accusing. “Haven’t you?”

I ignored him, my emotions on edge, extended my leg fully and, with a quick snap, kicked the workout bag hanging in my bedroom. I followed it with three sharp jabs. Anger and a little hurt built inside me, and after a few more kicks and rounds of punches, I broke a decent sweat.

Eli’s strong hands grasped my shoulders and spun me around. “Don’t ignore me, Riley.” He drew his face close to mine. “Don’t.”

I frowned, totally pissed. “Then don’t accuse me, Eli.” I shook his hands off. “You know I can’t help those dreams. You know it.”

Eli stared at me several long seconds, then shoved his fingers through his hair, muttered some French expletive, and walked to the window. He looked at some distant point across the river. “You desire him.”

Anger flashed inside me, and I crossed my arms over my chest. “How freaking old are you, Eli?” I asked. “Sixteen? Oh, no—that’s right. You’re over two hundred.” I walked up behind him, grabbed him by the arm, and turned him around to face me. Brilliant blue eyes searched mine, and I knew he was reading my thoughts; digging through them like a madman was more like it. “You’re acting like a jealous high school boyfriend,” I said, a little more gently. I grazed his jaw with my index finger. “Seriously, Eli.”

Another handful of seconds dragged by before his face went emotionless, his eyes dulled, those beautiful full lips that worked magic against my body thinned. “You don’t deny it, do you Riley?” His voice held an edge, tinged with a heavier-than-usual bit of French. I’d learned fast that the heavier the accent, the more pissed off Eli Dupré was.

“Victorian forces the dreams on me,” I said harshly. “Just as he forces the emotions within them.” I stepped closer. “I. Can’t. Help. It.”

Anger pulled his features tighter. “Do you think this is some game? He is deadly, Riley. Do you think he has feelings for you? Other than obsession? He will drain every ounce of your blood in seconds. Regrets might come after it’s too late.” His eyes grew somber. “I think you enjoy the dreams a little too much,” he said, moving past me. At the door, he stopped, staring straight ahead. “You could have come to me.”

“What would you have done, Eli?” I said. “You can’t go into my subconscious and change anything. You can’t make him stop.”

“You don’t know what I can do,” he said angrily. “You didn’t give me a fucking chance.”

He moved so fast, I didn’t see him actually turn and leave. Only the sound of the back door closing alerted me to his absence.

I walked to the window overlooking River Street, propped a hip against the ledge, and stared out into the growing darkness. Soon, it would be pitch-black outside—everdark (the Gullah pronounced it evah-dock). It meant, pretty much, everlasting darkness. That was what it felt like, too—an endless night. Leaning forward, I pressed my forehead against the cool pane. Eli wasn’t right, not by far. I did not enjoy the dreams; rather, the internal conversations I’d reluctantly had with the younger Arcos. Nor did I desire Victorian. In the dreams, I wanted two things: to continue the turn-on, then nothing more than for him to stop, to leave me the hell alone; he never did. He returned to me, time after time, with the most erotic, out-of-control dreams that make me respond to him in ways that mortified me. I loathed him. He made me excited. Yet I got a rush when his voice sounded inside my head.

Worse still, Victorian had begun speaking to me during my waking hours. Somehow, he’d gotten inside my head outside of the dreams. The only cause I could assume to be the reason for this was that we shared the strigoi DNA. I thought I could handle it. I wanted the bastard dead. I was the only one who could get close enough to do it. Dammit.

“What was that all about? You okay?”

I turned and met Seth’s concerned gaze. I was a balled-up bundle of hot electrical wires, and I needed to burn off a little energy. It was either that or bang my head against a brick wall. “It’s nothing, Bro. Seriously. You wanna go for a run?”

My brother gave me a crooked grin. “I’ll pass. I’m meeting Josie for a little roof jumping.” He wiggled his brows at me.

Seth Poe was definitely enjoying his vampiric tendencies. The kid had serious free-running talent. I’d been watching him closely, just to see if anything else, possibly weird, popped up. So far, it hadn’t. I grinned. “Gotcha. I’ll catch ya later.”

Those fathomless green eyes stared at me for a moment; then Seth pulled me into a tight hug. “Love ya, Sis.” Then he disappeared out the door.

I shook my head, yanked on my sneakers, and headed out into the early-September night air, crossed the merchant’s drive, climbed the metal steps to Bay Street, and took off.

Savannah in September was still warm and humid, and the brine from the river clung heavily to the air. I drew it in fully as I ran, the muscles in my legs stretching with each long stride. I could go faster—much faster—but that would seriously draw attention. I mean, I can haul ass. Instead, though, I kept it to a typical human’s pace, crossed Bay behind a group of ghost walkers, and headed up Bryan Street. Finally, I found myself alone. Full darkness had fallen, and I increased my speed, stretching my legs. Long shadows fell from the lampposts, parking meters, and the massive oaks that lined nearly every side street in the historic district. Everything looked distorted. I turned the corner and glanced over my shoulder.

An arm shot out of the shadows, clotheslined me, and knocked me flat on my back. I’d barely felt the sidewalk beneath me before I leapt up, adrenaline rushing, body rigid, poised, crouched, and ready to fight. I stared hard into the shadows.

I knew who awaited me before he emerged.

“My apologies for using such force to stop you,” Victorian Arcos said in a low, seductive voice, “but you’re amazingly fast.”

“Thanks to you and your brother,” I answered. “What are you doing here? They’ll kill you if they find you.” I met his gaze with a hard one. “Maybe I’ll kill you.”

Victorian stepped fully into the lamplight, and again I was stunned by his beauty. He looked older than twenty-one. Gone was the eighteenth-century clothing from before. Although he still kept his sleek black hair long and pulled into a queue, he was now dressed in a loose white button-down shirt hanging untucked from a pair of worn jeans and scuffed boots. It was difficult to believe he was so young. Well, that plus several hundred years. Apparently, my death threat fazed him nada.

He closed his eyes and drew in a lungful of air, then looked at me. “I can barely smell your blood,” he said, stepping closer and inhaling deeply again. “Your dark brothers must have changed the drugs they use to mask your scent.” Light reflected in his deep brown eyes, and they studied me closely, intensely. “I’m glad. I had to see you.”

A car turned up the street, and the headlights flashed toward us. In the blink of an eye, Victorian stepped in front of me, pushing me backward through the thick, damp grass, and into the shadows of an aged brick historic house that dominated nearly an entire block. The car passed; the headlight beams swept above our heads, and then left us in total darkness. Victorian, who stood at least six feet tall, moved slowly, crowding me and forcing me to back up. I stopped when the brick pressed into my back. I felt completely powerless, as though I possessed zero control of my actions, my thoughts, my new tendencies—almost as if I’d had a stroke. The younger Arcos took full advantage.

He stared down at me, desire radiating off his body in heady waves. “You torture me, Riley,” he said, his Romanian accent making his words seductive, erotic. “I think of nothing else but you”—he leaned close, his mouth brushing my jaw—“and of what I want to do to you.” His soft lips grazed the skin at my neck, where he lingered, and a flash of fear mixed with an uncontrolled shiver rushed through me. “Of what I dream of you doing to me,” he said at my ear. “It causes me physical pain to stay away, Riley Poe.” His mouth moved to my jaw, dragging his lips to my chin, close to my mouth. “I want you now,” he whispered. “I want to keep you forever.”

I was shaking, my mind numb, my limbs paralyzed, and sensations tingled across the skin where his lips moved so erotically. I didn’t want this, or his touch. I couldn’t help but crave it. I breathed, squeezed my eyes shut, opened them, gathered my strength—God only knew where it came from—lifted my hands to his chest and pushed. Hard. Victorian flew backward and landed on his back several feet away. He lay there, staring at me and smiling.

When next I blinked, he stood in front of me, close, crowding me once more, his hands grasping my wrists and grating my knuckles against the brick wall at my back. He lowered his head, his lips whispering against mine.

“Your tendencies do nothing more than fascinate me”—his mouth moved against mine—“and excite me even more.” He pulled back and looked at me. “What other tricks do you possess that I might enjoy?” His alluring scent surrounded me as his mouth covered mine—

“Riley?” A hand grasped my shoulder and shook—hard. “Riley, wake up, dammit.”

I gasped; my eyes fluttered open and I stared, confused, into Eli’s questioning gaze. Behind him, early-morning sun streamed in through my bedroom window, casting a hazy glow on his face. He frowned. “You’ve been dreaming of him again,” he said, his eyes hard and accusing. “Haven’t you?”

I glanced down. I still wore the same black yoga pants and sports bra I’d gone for a run in the night before. I’d encountered Victorian on that run. Hadn’t I? Or had it all really been a dream? I looked at my knuckles; the skin across them was scraped raw.

Inside my head,Victorian’s seductive laugh resonated.

Now, either that little fucker was messing with me, or I was losing my goddamn mind.