Page 23
Her rental car was waiting for her, and after getting detailed directions, she drove to the apartment she had rented. Thanks to a wrong turn, she had to stop and ask for directions again. By the time she checked in and unpacked, she was exhausted. Her internal clock told her it was still early, but it was almost nine-thirty P. M. Bucharest time.
She wondered where Rourke was, and if he intended to try to free Ana Luisa that night. In spite of his supernatural abilities, she couldn't help worrying that something might go wrong. What if he was caught stealing the painting? What if he couldn't free Ana Luisa? What if he freed her only to find that, after being frozen in a painting for three hundred years, the girl had gone stark raving mad?
She put the worrisome thoughts from her mind. Whatever happened now was out of her hands. Worrying wouldn't help.
She wandered around the apartment. It was small but comfortable, with a living room, tiny kitchen, tinier bathroom, and two bedrooms. The furnishings were quaint. She had booked the room for three days. She would have liked to stay longer, would have liked to see the sights while she was here, but it just didn't seem like a good idea to spend too much time in a foreign country with a vampire and a young woman whom she might or might not be able to communicate with.
Returning to the living room, she curled up on the sofa, wondering if she dared go into the city alone at night. Back at home, she had searched the Web for information on Bucharest and learned that it was a cosmopolitan city with an active cafe society, elegant restaurants, historic churches and palaces, opera houses, antique shops and boutiques and shopping malls. As eager as she was to see all that, she remembered another Web site that had warned tourists to be careful and noted that Romania was one of the most corrupt nations in the world, with public, municipal, and political life supported by bribes. Of course, she had no way of knowing if that was true or not.
The same article also said that Romania's cities were among the safest in the world, with very little violent crime, as long as one avoided the "bad" areas and questionable clubs. The article went on to say that drugs were not tolerated and that users could expect to spend seven years in prison, while distributors could face life behind bars.
The article also warned visitors to be sure to take a cab from a reputable company. It went on to say that a common scam was for a cab to pick up a fare and then, a short time later, stop to help two men, one of whom would appear to be injured. After pulling over to pick up the two men, the cabby would assure the first passenger that he would take the injured man to the hospital only after delivering his paid fare to his destination first. Instead, it often turned out that it was the paid fare who would wind up in the hospital after the two men had robbed them. A further warning was for women to keep an eye on their handbags, and to avoid shoulder bags and backpacks, as there were those who made a habit of cutting the straps with razor blades and making off with the rest.
Rising, she went to the window and stared out into the darkness. She was still debating the wisdom of going out alone when Rourke appeared.
Kari pressed a hand to her heart when she turned away from the window and saw him standing there, looking as tall and gorgeous as always.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to your popping in and out like that," she muttered.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. "
Her gaze moved over him. "I see you made it through the X-ray machine all right. "
He frowned. "X-ray?"
She nodded, wondering how to explain it, and then decided not to try. "So, what now?"
"Later tonight I will go to the museum that houses the painting and look around. Tomorrow night, I will free Ana Luisa and bring her here. Perhaps you can explain the new world to her. . . . "
"Oh, right, that should be a cinch!"
"Perhaps not as difficult as you expect. "
Kari lifted her brows in an "oh, sure" gesture but said nothing. She wasn't looking forward to staying cooped up with a witch who had spent the last three hundred years trapped inside a painting!
"I am going for a walk through the city," Rourke said. "Would you like to come with me?"
Kari had been nervous about wandering around by herself, so she jumped at the chance to go exploring with Rourke. Grabbing a jacket and her handbag, she followed him out the door.
They walked in silence for a time. It was a lovely night, cool and clear, beneath a black velvet sky crowded with stars. Kari slid a glance at Rourke, wondering if he had dined on one of the residents of the city.
As though sensing her thoughts, he looked at her and smiled. His teeth were very white in the darkness. "I took only a little. "
Kari felt her cheeks grow hot. It was disconcerting knowing he could read her thoughts. She looked up at him and frowned, remembering how she had heard his voice in her mind when she was on the plane.
"How did you do that?" she asked. "Talk to me when you were in the cargo hold?"
"I felt your fear and I simply spoke to your mind. "
"But I felt your hand on mine. " She shook her head. She could accept that he could read her thoughts. Many people claimed to be able to read minds. But to actually feel his hand on hers? "How did you do that?"
"I have many supernatural abilities. I have tasted your blood, and it has formed a mental bond between us. "
Kari nodded, though she didn't really understand. The city was pretty by night. When they passed an old church, she glanced at Rourke, wondering if he could go inside or if he would go up in smoke if he crossed the threshold.
Her stomach growled when they passed a cafe. Backtracking, she went inside and Rourke followed her. She ordered soup, a sandwich, and a cup of coffee. As usual, he ordered a glass of red wine.
It was pleasant sitting outside under the stars. Kari grinned inwardly. Never in a million years would she have expected to find herself in Romania with an actual vampire!
"I really wanted to see Bran Castle," Kari remarked when she finished eating, "but I won't have time now. "
"It is a beautiful place. "
"You've been there?"
He grinned. "Of course. How could I not go?"
"Right. You didn't know Vlad Dracula, did you?"
"I doubt that anyone really knew him. But I was acquainted with him. "
Kari stared at him, awed and repulsed at the same time. "Are all those horrible stories about him true?"
"I cannot speak for all of them, but he was a harsh, cruel man to those he considered his enemies. That much is true. If you still wish to see the castle, I will take you there. "
"Isn't it closed?"
He shrugged. "What are locks to me?"
"But. . . "
"Come. " He took her hand and led her away from the lights of the city. "Hold on to me," he said. "And do not be afraid. "
"What are you going to do?"
"Take you to the castle. "
She looked at him suspiciously. "How are we going to get there?"
"You will see. Hold on now. "
Before she could argue further, they were. . . she didn't know what they were doing. Sight and sound were lost to her and there was only a growing coldness and the sensation of moving rapidly through the night.
When the world slowed, they were standing in the castle courtyard. "How did you do that?" she gasped. "Wait. . . don't tell me. More vampire magic. "
"Yes. Vampires are capable of moving faster than the human eye can follow. And now, here we are. You see that fountain, there?" he asked. "It conceals a labyrinth of tunnels. "
"I suppose you've seen them, too?"
"Of course, but we will not go there. "
"Good!"
Rourke worked a bit of vampire magic on the castle door and Kari found herself inside the citadel. Rourke found a candle to light their way. It was an amazing place, she thought, especially in the warm glow of candlelight.
She loved the arched ceilings in some of t
he rooms, the fairy-tale atmosphere that came from the mixture of Renaissance, Romance, and Gothic styles. She didn't know which room she liked the most. Queen Marie's bedroom was lovely, with its baroque rosewood bed. There were a desk and a couple of beautiful carved chairs, a long table covered in a tapestry, a vase of flowers, paintings on the walls. Then there was Queen Marie's library, with its paneled walls, dark floors, and comfortable-looking furniture. The shelves that lined the walls held plates, vases, and pitchers. She wasn't surprised to see a deer head and horns on the walls of the hunting trophies hall, or the bearskin rug on the floor. There was a council hall, a dining room decorated with large, dark furniture. The music room had carpets and another bearskin rug, a ceiling with dark wooden beams, comfortable-looking furniture, and a line of beautiful windows. All the rooms were lovely and beautifully decorated.
Outside again, they stood in the courtyard.
"Thank you for the tour," Kari said. "It was wonderful. "
He inclined his head. "My pleasure. "
"Do you suppose Dracula really stayed here?"
Rourke shrugged. "Who can say?"
Kari blew out a sigh, and then she grinned. "Well, there's a real vampire here now. "
"Indeed. " Rourke smiled at her, and then his gaze dropped to her throat, and the pulse beating there. An indrawn breath carried the fragrance of her hair and skin, the tantalizing scent of her life's blood. She was pure temptation wrapped in sweet mortal flesh. He clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her when he wanted nothing more than to brush her hair away from her neck and drink and drink until he was filled with her warmth, her very essence.
As though sensing his thoughts, she took a step backward. Her next words confirmed that she did, indeed, know what he was thinking.
"I don't like that look in your eyes," she said in a shaky voice, and then her own eyes widened. "They're. . . are they glowing?"
Swearing softly, he turned his face away.
"Rourke? Are you all right? Rourke?"