A Fire in the Blood

  And would until one of them no longer existed.

  He shook the disquieting thought aside. Better to think of the morrow and the chance to see Tessa again.

  Chapter Seven

  Tessa shifted in her chair, wiggled her toes inside her shoes, shook her head, all in an effort to ward off the desire to lay her head on her desk and take a nap. She’d gone to bed early last night, only to toss and turn, her dreams quickly turning into nightmares filled with images of blood and death. Of vampires stalking her. Of bats and wolves attacking her.

  The last dream had been the most horrifying of all. She had been running through a dark forest, fleeing an unseen terror. And then, from out of nowhere, Andrei had appeared. She had thrown herself into his arms, a sigh of relief escaping her lips, only to recoil in horror when his teeth had turned to fangs. Great black wings had sprouted from his back, wrapping around her, cocooning her in darkness until she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see anything but a pair of hell-red eyes blazing into hers. Her own screams had awakened her.

  She jumped when her cell phone rang.

  “Tessa?”

  His voice wrapped around her like soft black velvet. “Andrei! Oh, hi.” She blinked several times, startled to hear his voice when she had been thinking of him.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theater tomorrow night? I’ve got tickets for Hell’s Hollow.”

  Tessa felt her eyes widen in surprise. Hell’s Hollow was a vampire love story, rumored to have been written by a vampire, although most people believed the real writer had spread that rumor to garner interest in his first musical production. “I’d love to.”

  “Terrific. Pick you up at seven?”

  “I’ll be ready. Thank you.”

  “Until then.”

  “Bye.”

  She was still smiling when Jileen stepped into her office.

  “What are you looking so happy about?” Jilly asked. “Did you just get a raise or something?”

  “Better! Andrei called and asked me for a date.”

  “Cool. Where are you going?”

  “To see Hell’s Hollow. Tomorrow night.”

  “Wow, on opening night! I’ve heard those tickets are practically impossible to get.”

  “I know. I can’t wait to see it.”

  “So, are you ready for lunch?”

  “Sure, but I’m so excited, I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat a bite.” Tessa closed the file she had been working on, grabbed her handbag, and followed Jileen to the elevators. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “I’ve been hungry for one of Tommy’s hamburgers and a chocolate shake. How about you?”

  “Whatever.”

  “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Jileen pushed the button for the main floor. “Not that I blame you. He is dreamy.”

  “He is that. To tell you the truth, I haven’t been able to think of anything else since we met. It’s like . . . I don’t know . . .” She shook away the memory of her nightmares.

  “Like you’re smitten?” Jilly suggested.

  “I guess so.”

  Jileen nodded. “I saw it in your eyes the other night.”

  They walked the short distance to the café, put in their order, and then found a small table near the front window.

  “Are you still seeing Luke?” Tessa asked.

  A dreamy look spread over her friend’s face. “Yes. We have a date tonight.”

  “You’re rather smitten yourself, aren’t you?”

  “You could say that. Luke called me last night and said he’d been thinking about giving up on hunting because he hadn’t been able to find a single vampire. He said the decision to quit had no sooner crossed his mind when he saw a real one! He said he didn’t know how he knew the man was a vampire, but in his gut, he knew the guy was the real deal.”

  “That’s great,” Tessa exclaimed. “I’m all for anyone who can rid this town of vampires.”

  * * *

  Tessa found it hard to concentrate on the job at hand the rest of the day. All she could think of was Andrei and their date tomorrow night. Jileen had teased her unmercifully on the way home from work, insisting Tessa was obsessed with Andrei.

  Tessa couldn’t argue with that. Sometimes she wondered what Andrei saw in her. Though they were about the same age, he seemed far older, his mannerisms tinged with an old world charm that was sadly missing in most of the men she knew.

  At home, she spent most of the night trying on one dress after another, finally deciding on an ice-blue sheath and matching heels she had worn to a wedding a few months ago.

  * * *

  Tessa hurried out of her office at the stroke of five on Tuesday. She was home eating dinner by six, in the shower by six fifteen, dressed and ready to go by ten minutes to seven.

  With time to spare, she sat on the edge of the sofa to catch her breath. Heart pounding with anticipation, she drummed her fingertips on the end table.

  She knew he was at the door even before he rang the bell.

  She closed her eyes, striving for calm. Made her way to the foyer. Opened the door. And felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw Andrei standing there. He had always been gorgeous, but clad in a dark suit and long, black coat, he was devastatingly handsome.

  His gaze moved over her. “Tessa, you are more lovely than ever.”

  “So are you.”

  He arched one brow. “You think me lovely?”

  She nodded solemnly.

  “Are you ready? Curtain goes up at five after eight.”

  “Just let me get my coat.”

  * * *

  Tessa felt her eyes widen when she saw the car waiting at the curb. “This is yours?”

  He shrugged as he opened the door for her. “Just a little something I picked up the other day.”

  Tessa nodded as she slid into the passenger seat. She didn’t know much about cars, but she’d seen this one advertised on the tube just the other day. “It’s an Aston Martin, isn’t it?”

  “Indeed. If it’s good enough for Bond, it’s good enough for me.” He closed the door gently, then walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. He usually drove the Challenger, but he’d wanted to impress her.

  “There must be a lot of money in selling antiques,” Tessa murmured as he pulled away from the curb.

  * * *

  They reached the theater at seven thirty. Tessa wasn’t surprised when Andrei opted for valet parking.

  She glanced at the other patrons as Andrei reached for her hand. She had never been to an opening night before and suddenly felt like Cinderella before her fairy godmother came to her rescue. She was surrounded by women wearing Valentino and Dior, Versace and Donna Karan. Obviously they had traveled here from the big city to the north. Few in Cutter’s Corner, including Tessa, could afford to shell out seven thousand dollars for a gown by Oscar de la Renta. Of course, in his Armani suit and long, black coat, Andrei fit right in.

  She forgot all about her clothes when she recognized several movie stars. Hard to believe that some of Hollywood’s elites had made the trip to Cutter’s Corner to see a play written by an unknown playwright. And then she frowned. What if some of them were vampires? With a huff of exasperation, she put the thought from her mind as Andrei escorted her into the theater.

  Not only had Andrei scored tickets on opening night, but their seats were center orchestra.

  “How did you get such great seats?” Tessa asked.

  “I know the producer.”

  Tessa felt a rush of excitement as the lights dimmed and the crowd fell silent. A moment later, the heroine began to sing the first number. She had a beautiful voice, the notes as pure and clear as crystal.

  Tessa leaned toward Andrei to whisper, “I’ve never heard anything like . . .” when there was an explosion in the wings, followed by a blinding flash of light. Screams sounded from backstage as the backdrop and the side curtains went up in flames.

  Pandemonium erup
ted in the audience as several burning scraps of material landed in the aisles, setting the carpet runners on fire. Sparks flew through the air. The woman sitting in front of Tessa shrieked as an ember landed in her hair.

  The stage manager shouted into a microphone, begging people to remain calm, but a second explosion sent him hurtling into the orchestra pit.

  Rising, Andrei grasped Tessa’s hand. There were few things on this earth that he feared, but fire was one of them. “We need to get the hell out of here. Now!”

  Speechless with fright, Tessa glanced at the people around her, some seemingly frozen in fear, others pushing and shoving their way toward the exits. An elderly lady in a fur coat fainted in the aisle nearest them, blocking the way. Tessa gasped as several people jumped over her. Others vaulted over the seats behind them in their eagerness to flee the theater. She was surprised at how quickly the stink of smoke filled the air and stung her eyes.

  There was no quick way out as people scrambled and pushed one another in their desperation to escape the flames, which had spread to the seats in the first three rows.

  Andrei glanced at the flames. Dammit, they had to get out of there. He considered transporting the two of them to Tessa’s place, but the use of his vampire powers would require an explanation, one he wasn’t prepared to give.

  Taking a deep breath, he exerted his preternatural influence on the people in front of them, ordering them to get the hell out of the way. Tessa was almost knocked to the floor several times, but Andrei kept her upright, putting his body between her and the mass of terrified people.

  Fortunately, Tessa was so frightened, she didn’t question the way a path magically opened in front of them.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  “What do you think happened?” Tessa asked, wiping her eyes as they emerged from the building.

  “I think someone—mostly likely hunters—believed that the rumors of a vampire playwright were true.”

  “Seriously? You think they’d risk hurting hundreds of innocent people because of some silly rumor?”

  “Fanatics do a lot of irrational things,” he said grimly.

  She couldn’t argue with that.

  Tugging on her hand, he led her away from the entrance.

  “It’s odd that the sprinklers didn’t come on,” Tessa remarked. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that one side of the theater was now on fire.

  In the light of the flames, she saw a man stagger out of a side door, gasped in horror when sparks from the building ignited the sleeve of his jacket. She let out a cry of alarm as he was suddenly engulfed in fire and then, in the blink of an eye, he dissolved into a pile of gray ash.

  Swallowing the bile that rose in her throat, she tugged on Andrei’s arm. “Did you see that?”

  He nodded, a muscle tightening in his jaw as a gust of wind scattered the ashes. He had known Colin Dougherty for three hundred years. Colin had been a vampire, yes. But he had also been a kind man, one who had satisfied his thirst with blood obtained from a local blood bank rather than prey on mortals.

  Had he been alone, Andrei would have gone back to the theater to see if he could find any trace of the hunter or hunters responsible. But there were other vampires in the vicinity; he couldn’t leave Tessa standing on the sidewalk, alone and unprotected.

  * * *

  Tessa glanced at Andrei as he pulled out of the parking structure. He hadn’t said a word since they’d escaped the theater. His jaw was set, his expression implacable.

  She shifted in her seat. Time and again she had started to ask him what was wrong, only to swallow the words. Something told her she really didn’t want to know what he was thinking.

  She shuddered as a news flash interrupted the music on the radio to report on the fire. With a glance at Andrei, she switched it off. Tomorrow would be soon enough to hear the grisly details. She had seen enough carnage to give her nightmares for a year.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled up in front of her building.

  After turning off the engine, he turned to face her. “I’m sorry for this evening,” he said quietly.

  Tessa made a vague gesture with her hand. “The fire wasn’t your fault.”

  He grunted softly, then opened his door. “Come, I’ll walk you upstairs.”

  She was conscious of him standing behind her as she slid the key into the lock, her every sense attuned to his nearness. She wondered if he would kiss her good night, then felt a twinge of guilt for even thinking such a thing after what had happened at the theater.

  Reaching inside, she switched on the light.

  “Tessa.”

  Slowly, she turned to face him.

  “The man who died,” he said quietly. “He was a friend of mine.”

  “Oh! I’m so sorry.” But even as she spoke the words, she remembered how quickly the flames had engulfed him, the way his body had turned to ash. And drifted away.

  Andrei blew out a breath. “His name was Colin. He wrote the play.” Another breath. “And he was a vampire. That’s why he burned so quickly.”

  Tessa blinked at him. “You were friends with a vampire? But . . . I thought . . . you said you were a hunter.”

  “I knew him before he was turned,” Andrei explained. “He was a good man. Devoted to his art and his music. He never hurt anyone.”

  “But if he was a vampire . . . ?”

  “He never hunted humans. There was no reason for anyone to destroy him.”

  Tessa stared at him, not knowing what to say.

  And suddenly, words didn’t seem important. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  She gasped as his arms went around her, his mouth descending on hers, his tongue like a rapier as it dueled with her own. All thought left her as he pressed her body closer to his. And still closer. And it wasn’t close enough. She had a crazy impulse to drag him into her apartment and rip off his clothes, to pull him down on the floor and beg him to make love to her all night long.

  Her eyelids flew open as her mind filled with vivid images of herself doing that very thing. With a muffled cry, she took a step backward as other images played across her mind—frightening images from her nightmare of Andrei with fangs and eyes that glowed red in the dark.

  He loosened his hold, but didn’t release her.

  “I . . . I . . .” She was breathing as if she’d just run a mile. Or twenty. She shook the unsettling memory of her nightmare away. What would he think if he could read her thoughts? No doubt he would think her foolish to be so upset by a bad dream.

  A faint smile curved his lips. “Would it be all right if we tried again?”

  She stared at him, her cheeks burning. Tried what again?

  “Another date,” he clarified. “Perhaps next week?”

  She nodded, too flustered to speak.

  He bowed over her hand. “I’ll call you soon.”

  Tessa nodded again. She watched him descend the stairs, then went inside and closed and locked the door.

  What if her nightmare was more than just a bad dream? What if it had been an omen of some kind? A warning? What if Andre really was a vampire? It would explain how he knew so much about them. How he knew so much about Colin.

  * * *

  After seeing Tessa safely home, Andrei drove back to the theater. He parked his car several blocks away.

  Walking toward the entrance, he saw that the fire was out. Several foot cops patrolled the sidewalks around the building to make sure no one crossed the crime scene tape. The fire trucks were still in evidence. A number of curious folk stood across the street, watching the cleanup.

  Andrei moved past the police, weaving in and out among the fire crew, unnoticed, thanks to what he liked to call a vampire veil, which hid him from sight when he didn’t wish to be seen.

  He prowled the inside of the theater, his senses probing the rubble for a clue, a scent, something—anything—that would tell him who had destroyed his friend. But, for once, his preternatural sens
es failed him. Then again, any trace of the killer’s scent had likely been burned away by the fire or extinguished by the gallons of water that had been poured into the place.

  Returning to his car, Andrei drove to the next town in search of prey, wondering, as he did so, if it had been a mistake to tell Tessa about Colin. Would it lead to questions best left unasked and unanswered?

  He found his prey on a street corner waiting for a bus. A thought brought her into his car. He took her quickly and went on his way, leaving her with no memory of what had happened.

  Back at home, he stood outside a moment, enjoying the quiet of the night. Then, drawn by an irresistible need to see Tessa, he walked to her apartment complex.

  A thought took him to her front door. The sound of her deep, even breathing told him she was asleep. He had forgotten what mortal sleep was like. His rest was like death—until he met Tessa, there had been no dreams, no nightmares, only oblivion.

  It took only moments to dissolve into mist, slip under the door, and float into her bedroom.

  She slept on her side, her cheek pillowed on her hand. Her hair spread across her shoulders like skeins of fine gold silk, tempting his touch. Resuming his own form, he lifted several strands and let them sift through his fingers. Her hair was, indeed, like silk. An indrawn breath enveloped him in her unique scent.

  He was suddenly desperate to hold her in his arms, to claim her lips with his, to explore every inch of her, from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet, and every delectable hill and valley in between.

  Not since Katerina had he felt such an overwhelming physical desire for a woman, a need so strong that it was painful in its intensity.

  It took every ounce of his considerable self-control—hard won in the last seven hundred years—to turn his back on her and leave the apartment.

  A thought took him to his lair, located in the bowels of a three-story mansion that had been built over a hundred years ago. He had found the place quite by accident while passing through Cutter’s Corner. A large sign in the front window had announced that the building was scheduled to be demolished. Andrei recalled paying a visit to the man in charge and offering to buy the place. The man had charged him twice what the property was worth, but after a little renovation and some major reconstruction in the basement, Andrei had a secure lair.