Love's Challenge (Pearl Vampire Chronicles #5) (16 page)

‘He’s not going to hit me again?’

I laughed out loud.  “What’s so funny, Sarah?” Matt said.

“Ummm, Carlos wants to know if you’re going to hit him again.”

“Tell him ‘only if he doesn’t get his ass over here within the next five
seconds.’”

Carlos moved quickly through the crowd towards us.  “I heard, I heard,”
he said.

“Okay.  Let’s get everybody checked in to the hotel.  Then we’ll wait
until it’s dark to do some searching.  We can cover more territory that way,”
Matt said.  “The hotel is that little inn just up the road.  It’s small but
it’ll work for now.”  Suddenly Matt’s cell phone rang.  “It’s Derek.  Yes,
Derek?  He what?  When?  And you searched?  Okay, thanks.  Yeah, we just got
here.  Okay.  I’ll be in touch.”  He stuck it back in his pocket then looked at
us.  “Aquila’s gone.”

“What?!” We both said. 

“When?  How?  Did anyone get hurt?” I asked.

Matt looked completely confused and shook his head.  “No.  That’s what is
strange.  You’d think he’d want revenge and go after any vampires he sees.  But
he didn’t.  He didn’t even hurt the guard who was right outside his cell, he
just knocked him out.  Then he snuck out of the fortress and left.  I don’t get
it,” he said.

“I do,” I said.  They both looked at me.  “He’s coming here, to protect
his father.”

Chapter
Thirteen

“Oh,” they both said as they nodded with worried looks on their faces. 

“Shit.  He must have figured out that we’re coming.  We need to move fast.
 We have to try to find the warehouse before he gets here.  We sure as hell
don’t want the priest to have warning that we’re here,” Matt said.  “Let’s get
checked in and head out right away.  We can’t wait until it’s dark.  We’ll just
have to stay on foot until were away from the town.”  

We all picked up our bags and made our way to the small inn just up the
road.  We had reserved ten rooms in advance, taking up a majority of the
place.  It was a gorgeous, ancient-looking hotel.  The lobby had a huge common
room off to the side with a large, round wooden table and a stone fireplace. 
As Matt handed out keys he said, “Put your things in your room, then meet us
back here at the table.”  Everyone nodded and headed off.  Matt bought a map
from the desk clerk, then headed toward the table.  “Can you take our bags to
the room then meet me back here, Sarah, please?” 

I picked up our bags and headed down the narrow hall.  As I came out of
our room, Carlos came out of his, directly across the hall from ours.  I rolled
my eyes.  “Seriously?  Across the hall from ours?  Really?” I said. 

Carlos grinned.  “Sorry, hun.  Didn’t plan it.  That’s just the key he
gave me.  Guess you just can’t get away from me, no matter how hard you try.”

“Oh, shut up.”  I smiled as I slid my arm through his and we headed down
the hall. 

Matt had the map spread out on the table.  He did a slight double-take as
the two of us walked into the room together but he quickly went back to
concentrating on the map.  “Sarah, come take a look at this.  See if you get a
feel for where we should look,” he said.

I raised my eyebrow at him.  “And how, exactly, am I supposed to get a
feel
for where to go?”

“I’m not getting anything on the tracking device, which either means that
she’s not nearby or that she’s underground or behind thick stone walls.  Sarah,
you and Bahiti have transferred blood when you were helping her a few years
back.  I’m hoping that maybe that has linked you,” Matt said.

“He’s right, Sarah.  I know it’s linked the two of you and it’s linked, ummm,
oh shit,” Carlos stopped when I shot him a look that could kill.  I threw my
mind into his, ‘
Are you fucking insane?  He would know that the only time
you and I would probably share blood is during sex.  What happened to not
rubbing it in his face?’

‘Damn it.  I’m so sorry, Sarah.  I wasn’t thinking.  It just
slipped out,’ Carlos thought.

Matt’s jaw clenched.  He squeezed his eyes shut, then took a deep breath
and went on, “Any ideas, Sarah?”

I gently reached down and set my hand on his, waiting.  He took a few
seconds, but then turned his over and laced his fingers through mine.  I stared
at the map, trying desperately to find what they were looking for.  My eyes
moved up and down and side to side, many times, but they kept being drawn to
one spot.  “What is Brasov?” I mumbled.  I saw a look pass between Matt and
Carlos.  “What?”

“Just a second, Sarah.  First, why Brasov?  What is it that’s drawing you
to it?” Matt said.

“I don’t know, Matt.  Something about it seems
familiar
somehow,
which doesn’t make sense because I’ve never been to Romania, ever.  Why?”

“Mainly it’s just rumors,” Carlos said, “but there’s a church there
called the Black Church.  Legend has it that there’s a hidden basement and
tunnel from the church to the Tampa Mountains, and that vampires were
experimented on and tortured by numerous priests for centuries.  But we’ve
never been able to prove it.”

I stared at both of them for a few seconds.  “You’re kidding me, right? 
A place where priests supposedly have done crap to vampires for centuries and
we’re looking for a priest who has manipulated the DNA of vampires and is using
female vampires to create those things?  Do you see the similarities here?  Do
you think it’s really just a coincidence?  Really?”

“But the church is in the center of town.  How are we going to get in
there unnoticed to search for this hidden laboratory?” Matt asked.

“We’re not,” I said.  “We’re going to find the entrance to the tunnel on
the mountain and go in that way.”

“But Sarah, we’ve searched for that entrance hundreds of times over
thousands of years.  What makes you think we’ll be able to find it?” Carlos
said.

“I will.  No, I don’t know how I know that.  I just know that I will,” I
whispered.

“Okay, then our first stop needs to be at Aaron’s place.  He’s about an
hour from here.  He bought an ancient castle to live in after he sold me the
island.  Said he wanted to get in touch with his history or something like
that.  He’s got weapons for us: flame throwers and grenades mostly,” Matt said.
 “Let’s head out in ten minutes.  And Sarah,” he said as he cradled my face in
his hands, “for God’s sakes, be careful out there.  I, no
we
,” he
glanced at Carlos then back at me, “wouldn’t survive if something happened to
you.  Got it?”  His lips softly pressed down onto mine and I felt peace as I
inhaled every ounce of his love for me.

The old woman behind the counter watched us with knowing eyes as we all
made our way out the front door.  I wanted to stop and talk to her.  Ask her
what she knew.  Ask her what she had seen, but there wasn’t time.  We made our
way back to the train station and settled in on the platform to wait.  The
train was due to arrive in about twenty minutes, and then it was a forty minute
ride to the next town.  Aaron’s place was on the hillside above the next town. 
By the time we arrived there, it would be dark, and we could fly.  We were all
anxious and felt the urgency in the air.  On the train, Matt’s hand was
squeezed tight in mine.  Carlos was sitting across from me.  I looked at Carlos
and knew that he needed to be next to me, and that I needed him next to me. 
The seat Matt and I were in was supposed to be for two people.  “Honey?  Can
you scoot over a bit, please?” I whispered.  Matt looked at me, looked at Carlos,
then kissed my temple and moved over.  I squished into the middle and held my
hand out to Carlos, who quickly took it and shoved himself into the seat next
to me.  I heard him take a deep breath and felt him relax slightly.  We stayed
that way until the train pulled into the station.  As we made our way off the
train and into the station, I couldn’t seem to make my hands let go of either
one of them.  I didn’t care about the looks we were getting.  And I didn’t care
about the look and smirk we got from Aaron, who was waiting at the station. 
Nothing seemed to matter except for keeping both of them close to me.  We
walked through the station and found a dark, deserted alley.  We checked both
ways then took off into the sky.  We landed behind the wall at Aaron’s place
five minutes later.  As we moved inside to where he had the weapons, I still
couldn’t find a way to let go.  “Sarah, we need to pick up our weapons,” Matt
whispered.

“I can’t, I can’t, I’m afraid to let go, Matt.  I have this horrible
feeling that if I let go I’m going to lose both of you.  Something really bad
is going to happen, I can feel it,” I said with a trembling voice.  They both
moved around and wrapped me in a three-way hug, with my hands still firmly held
in theirs. 

“Sarah, try not to worry, sweetheart.  Matt and I are going to be fine,”
Carlos said. 

“He’s right, honey.  Chances are we’re not going to find them tonight. 
This is probably just going to be a night of searching and nothing else.  And
even if we do find them, none of us are going to do anything stupid,” Matt
said.

I brought my head up and looked at both of them.  I didn’t have the heart
to tell them that the feeling I was having was not of them leaving me somehow. 
It was of me leaving them.  “I love you both so much,” I said as I finally
released their hands.  I didn’t care that the others were all watching us.  I
brought my hands up first to Carlos’ face and kissed him then I moved my hands
over to Matt and kissed him too.  These weren’t pecks on the lips either.  These
were passionate kisses involving tongues, these were kisses that were shared by
lovers, but I didn’t care.  Complicated?  Yeah, fuck complicated.

We were loaded up and back in the air thirty minutes later.  Matt, Carlos
and I were holding hands and linked. 
‘Take us to the top of that Tampa
Mountain.  Then we’ll work our way down to where the entrance to the tunnel
might be, okay?’
I thought.

‘Sure thing, Sarah.  But I’m telling you.  Vampires have
searched for the entrance hundreds of times.  I’ve even been here for several
of those searches.  I don’t think it’s there anymore,’
Carlos thought.

‘It’s there Carlos,’
I thought.

‘Ummmm, Sarah?  How is it that you’re in front of us and yet
you seem to know exactly where we should be going?’
Matt thought.

‘I don’t know, Matt.  Everything around here seems so
familiar to me.  I really feel like I’ve been here before.  Has Bahiti been
here?’
I thought.

‘Carlos?’
Matt thought.

‘Not that I know of.  You?’

‘Nope.  She never mentioned it to me either,’
Matt thought.

‘But, if Bahiti’s never been here, then why do I have this
feeling?  Who am I getting it from?’
I thought.

‘
I don’t know, Sarah.  Matt?  Maybe we should turn back and try to
figure this out.  Something’s not feeling right,’
Carlos thought.

‘Carlos is right, Sarah.  I don’t like this.  We should try
to figure out where this feeling of familiarity is coming from,’
Matt thought.

‘Not now, guys.  We’re here.  Look.  There’s the mountain. 
We can’t turn back now.  Come on, it’ll be fine,’
I thought.

We all deftly avoided the trees and softly landed on the top of the
mountain.  I started moving downhill immediately.  “Sarah, slow down.  We need
to be careful,” Matt whispered.

“I know Matt.  But for some reason I feel
excited. 
Almost like
I’m coming home.”

Carlos reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me.  I glared at him and
tried to pull my arm free, then winced as Matt grabbed my other arm.  “Sarah,
stop for just a second.  Concentrate.  Can you feel anyone or anything in your
head?  Can you feel what might be sending you these feelings?”  Matt said.

“No, Matt.  That’s just it.  It’s not my head that’s leading me here,
it’s my heart.  I’ve got warm fuzzies for this place, like I love it.  Like
it’s home,” I gasped.  “Oh my God.”

“What?” they both said.

“I think I know what’s pulling me here.  I think it’s the one that’s
growing inside of Bahiti.  I’m linked to her, so it’s linked to me.  Oh shit,
Matt, we need to hurry.  Could it be that these things only take a few weeks to
gestate?” I said.  I grabbed both their hands and began moving faster down the
mountain.  I could see the lights from the village below and knew we were
getting close to the bottom.  Suddenly I just had to stop.  Matt and Carlos
didn’t quite stop as fast and made their way back up to where I was.  “What is
it Sarah?” Matt said. 

“I’m not exactly sure,” I said as I started looking around us, “but I
think the entrance is somewhere around here.”

Carlos shook his head.  “Sarah, I’ve looked in this very spot myself.  I
spent at least two days searching right here.”

“Look, I hear what you’re saying Carlos, but I’m telling you it’s here. 
You just didn’t know what to look for.”