Courted by the Vampire (7 page)

Narcissa’s smile revealed sharp, pointy little teeth. “I’m not giving you my
mirror. How will I be able to admire myself if you have it?”

“Look, I’ll give you a choice. You can either give me the Mirror, or I can
capture you and take it myself.” Her stomach churned. She didn’t like the thought of bullying the creature. She rooted around in her bag and pulled out the small glass jar with the brass lid. “Do you see this jar? This will become your new home if you don’t cooperate.”

“It’s too small. I’d never fit.”

“Maybe so, but do you really want to take the chance? Give me what I want and I won’t need to make this your new home.” She tossed the jar into the air and deftly caught it. “I have no problems using it.” She’d never admit she hadn’t used it successfully before.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Narcissa scoffed. She took out a small hand mirror
and proceeded to admire herself. “The Forest Witch told me all about you. She said you didn’t have enough confidence in yourself to make a carrot levitate.”

“Marilyn has apparently underestimated me because her mind is filled
with an overload of sex,” Hannah muttered as she unscrewed the top of the jar.

“She also said once you are dead, Edwin will come back to her when he’s
not consumed by one as common as you.” She raked her thin fingers through her blue hair then shook the long tresses out. “The Forest Witch has a healthy appetite for human men.”

“Really.” Hannah surreptitiously plucked a gold charm from her bracelet
and dropped it into the jar. “I rather doubt her influence on the bounty hunter is so strong. Edwin has more sense than to consort with a Witch.” She shook the jar, smiling wickedly when the charm tinkled against the glass. “This is your last chance, Narcissa. Will you give me the mirror?”

“Of course not. It’s mine.” She continued to admire herself in the mirror, primping on the log as if she had nothing better to do.

Hannah shrugged, wincing at the throb of pain in her wrist. “Suit yourself.” She concentrated and delved through her mind for the half forgotten words of the spell. “Little fairy with tiny feet, play before me but please be sweet. Little fairy with face so charming, I leave this trinket for your disarming. Little fairy, into this jar I bind, until I release thee at a future time.” In order for the spell to work, she had to make sure the inflection of the syllables was correct and the offering was good. Fairies had a weakness for shiny objects and sweet things.

“I won’t go! Who will admire me now?” With a plaintive whine, Narcissa
vanished into shimmering air once again. She gave off a faint ping when she landed inside the small prison. Because the jar was enchanted, once a being was spellbound, their size automatically adjusted in order to fit comfortably inside the container. Upon release, they returned to their original shape.

Hannah stared into the glass, gave a wobbly smile to the tiny fairy, and
screwed the brass lid on tight. She squinted through the faint light.
Edwin, where are you?

*****

Edwin frowned as he observed Hannah from his hidden position in the foliage. He hesitated to reveal his presence, not wishing to break her concentration. When she held the jar up, he stifled a chuckle. She was not like any other human he had encountered. He shifted, careful not to disturb the dry twigs.

She stuffed the jar back into her bag, and scrambled to her feet
then retrieved a silver mirror, which glinted in the faint moonlight. Apparently, she was unimpressed since she shrugged and threaded the chain of her pendant through the handle of the mirror.

Tiny threads of lust streaked through his stomach when she dropped the
necklace under her tank top. She did have a most desirable body. “I knew you could tap into your power if you needed something bad enough.” He stepped out from behind a cluster of birch trees.

Hannah whirled around, relief on her face. “How long have you been
there?”

“Long enough.” As he approached her, a tiny smile lifted the corners of
his mouth. “I am proud of you,
spatzi
. Never doubt yourself. Confidence will always win out over fear. It is the way of things.” He enfolded her in a hug. His chest tightened when she sighed against him. Even after a stint through a humidity-filled forest, the elusive floral scent of her teased his nostrils.

“Thank you. No one has ever believed in me before, except for my
Gramma. She understands, all too well actually. Some her stories are quite fantastic.”

“I am sure you are very much like your elder.” Regret washed over him
when she broke the impromptu embrace. “You handled the fairy well.”

Her smile was small. “I’m sorry I had to strong arm Narcissa. I’ll let her
stew inside that jar for a bit then let her out later.”
If I can remember which spell will release her…
She winced then clutched her wrist.

“You are hurt?”

“Just a little battered, I suppose. My wrist is the only damaged part.”

He gingerly felt the appendage in question, his fingers delicate
and gentle as he prodded. “You spoke to me with your mind earlier.” He pressed a bit of swollen flesh. “Does this hurt?”

“A little.”

Edwin ran his fingertips over the sensitive skin of her inner arm. He smiled when tiny shivers swept from her to him. “Now that you have used your telepathic powers, you must practice and strengthen them. It is vital for your protection.”

She nodded. “I’ll try, but it’s hard. Can you help me?”

Desire slammed into him when she looked up at him from under her lashes. “It would be an honor.” Aware he still held her wrist, he let her go long enough to root in his duffle bag. “Your injury is not severe.” He produced a large handkerchief of snowy white cotton and proceeded to fashion a sling for her arm. “You will need to keep your wrist as immobile as possible for the next couple of hours if you can. This, at least, will insure you won’t use that hand unnecessarily.”

“But I’ll need my hand to help me hike.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You will be fully healed by the time we reach our destination. Vampires are capable of healing non-fatal wounds in themselves and others.” As he tied the knot behind her neck, his fingers brushed her soft skin. He leaned close, his lips a hair’s breadth from the shell of her ear. “You must strive to be more careful.”

Hannah stood silent.
Her pulse fluttered in her neck and her breath came in rapid bursts.

He
grinned and pulled away. “The positive aspect of you taking a tumble into this shallow creek bed is that we can use the ancient water source as a guide. Sooner or later we will come to the lake and thereby eventually have our run in with the ghost.”

“Oh.” She heaved a deep sigh. “We’re leaving now?”

He nodded then plunged forward along the creek bed.

“Just so you know, I don’t think you appreciate how much longer I’ll be
able to keep bravely trekking along without food, water or a decent shower.”

Edwin laughed at the whine in her voice. “You are a rather impatient
woman. I am sure once we reach the lake shore all of your basic needs will be met.” He chuckled again, glad for her company.

“You’re right, I am impatient. I don’t like waiting.”
I want to know what your hair feels like.
“It must be the society we live in. Instant gratification and all that.”

I can hear your thoughts, Hannah. I would caution of you this fact so you do not
embarrass yourself further.

I’m not embarrassed.
But she huffed.

He grinned at her contradiction. “The sweetest rewards often come after
days or even months of hard work or plans.” He turned to help her over a series of fallen and rotten logs and briefly wondered why her warmth lingered on his skin. Never had he been so connected with another being before.

“Not every good thing in life is the result of planning. Sometimes the most
wonderful gifts are unexpected,” she countered.

Patience is always rewarded.

The sun had finally sunk under the horizon to leave behind a cozy purple twilight that would usher in the velvety darkness of nightfall. Frogs croaked and the underbrush rustled with the unseen nocturnal residents of the forest. She shivered.

“The creatures of the night will not hurt you,
spatzi
, unless you become a threat.” The thick carpet of moss, rotting vegetation and sand, muffled their footsteps. “Why are you afraid?”

“I’m not, but I
am
terrified of what comes next.”

He did not know how to comfort her. “Fe
ar is the absence of confidence.” He tugged on her hand in an effort to keep moving. “Even if you feel it inside, if you project confidence then others will trust you, fear you, or respect you, depending on the situation and your level of self-assurance.”

I hate it when men are right.
“Is your quaint little nickname for me the only German you know?” She tripped on a rock but declined his assistance.

“I speak German quite fluently since it is the primary language of my
ancestors.” Edwin shrugged. “I am more comfortable with the older European dialects and know bits and pieces of French which is enough to get by on the rare times I go visit.” He smiled, but when his attempt to cheer his companion failed, he continued with his lecture. “I know that
schatzi
means little treasure, and
ma petite caille
means my little quail in French. I have a bit of both parents’ language, but I cannot speak fluently in either. I was not interested in learning words when there were more important skills to master.”

“Great. You’ve got a thing for poultry.”

He ignored her comment. As they climbed a steep hill, he kept a tight grip on her hand when she floundered in the loose dirt and sand mix.

“What about you? Do you know any Irish? You speak of your grandmother often
so I assume you must be close?”

Hannah sucked in a few deep breaths before she answered. “My gramma
is originally from Cork, and after my grandfather died, she moved from Dublin back to her home town. They’re a very superstitious lot there.”

“And?” He wished he had more time with her, but he needed to keep
them on a tight schedule.

She snorted in annoyance. “When my mom went away to college in the
U.S. she turned her back on the silly stories and beliefs she had heard from Gramma and raised me with strict orders not to have anything to do with fairy tales or fantasy realms. It’s pretty funny given my circumstances, if you think about it. Anyway, the only phrase I can repeat is a curse, really. Gaelic is hard to learn if you didn’t grow up with it.”

Edwin remained silent as they fought for each foothold in the shifting
sand. He had learned that silence often yielded the best results.

“My gramma occasionally lapses into the language when she’s stressed.”
The harsh sound of her breathing blended with the nocturnal forest sounds.
I’m going to die of oxygen deprivation.

You won’t die
.
He bit back a chuckle at her steady complaints. “What is the curse?”

A grin lit her face. “My mom always washed my mouth out with soap if I
said it aloud.”

“Is that a custom in your family before you speak?”

Her laughter held a note of surprise. “Hardly. She feared something bad would happen, that’s all.”

Edwin increased the pressure on her hand in encouragement.

“Okay, I’ll tell you but don’t laugh.
Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.
Roughly translated, I think it means may the cat eat you, and may the cat then be eaten by the devil. It sounds much better with an accent and a highly agitated grandmother screaming at the milk man who short-changed her.”

“It can be very intimidating, I would imagine, in the right circumstance.”
With one last tug on her hand, they cleared the hill. “I believe we have arrived at the shore of Lake Michigan.” He glanced at her, and attempted to vanquish the smirk he knew lurked on his lips as she gasped for breath after the hike. “Now you may rest.”

Chapter Six

Because of their arrival at the touristy part of the beach, the souvenir stands and food shacks were about to close. Edwin bought bags of snacks and bottled water on the cheap. While Hannah snuck into the bathhouse for a shower, he scouted out a spot around a curve of the beachfront that was hidden from the prying eyes of park rangers. If someone from the park’s department found them, they’d be thrown out until the next morning.

They did not have time to waste with unneeded delays. Once Hannah
returned, he showered. In an uncharacteristic attempt at humor, when he stumbled on an inebriated goblin, he gave the offering to her. A small trace of pleasure slid down his spine when she bound the being into her magical jar.

She shot him a lazy grin and buried her bare feet deeper into the still
warm sand.

“You look smug and happy
.” He let a deep groan escape and satisfaction filled his chest as he regarded his companion.

“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m clean, I’m hydrated, my wrist doesn’t hurt any
more, and my belly is full. Life isn’t so bad after all.” She positioned her back against the sand dune and sighed. “We’re not being chased by rogue paranormals, but you have to admit the view is lovely.”

Edwin focused on the dark water of Lake Michigan before him. “There is
truly nothing as beautiful as the watercolor that Nature paints.” He grinned, pleased at the faint blush on her cheeks. “I find you to be an interesting companion, and I think I have been remiss when I chose to travel alone all of these years. It is good to have someone to talk to in the quiet times.”

She took a sip of water. “That’s the glory of life, Edwin. Sometimes we
realize we’ve been wrong about certain things and can change our ways.”

He remained silent, but continued to study her. Her red hair, still slightly
damp from her shower, danced around her head like a fiery halo. His gaze lingered on the soft curve of her breasts. The green tank top she wore showed signs of dirt and wear as did her jeans, but he uttered no complaint. The soft lines and gentle swells of her figure intrigued him, perhaps more than any woman’s he had ever met. What would she look like, naked in the moonlight? He blew out a frustrated breath. She would be a temptation.

“Have you ever been in love
? I know you told me you would never get involved with anyone but was there a special girl? And please don’t tell me it was that nasty forest witch.”
Love and the Witch of the North Forest do not belong in the same sentence.

His sigh seemed to come from a million miles away. “There may have
been the thought of being in love. While in college, I met a girl in my anthropology classes. The knowledge of the cursed genes recently came to light but I did not pay it much attention. I was young; I thought I could change Fate. She and I dated for a year or so until the night when things went horribly wrong.” He absently sifted sand between his fingers, his attention far into the past. “In a moment of stupidity, I told her my life history and let her see into my soul. Needless to say, she ran away screaming, quite literally. I transferred to another school to finish my degree.”

Hannah traced her initials in the soft sand. “Then it should be obvious the
girl wasn’t the one for you. You should be loved for who you are, and that’s it. No exceptions. You are what you are and you can’t change that fact. You shouldn’t have to.”

Confusion swirled through his brain at her words. No one had ever
accepted his paranormal traits so readily before. “I appreciate your faith in me. It is quite an enlightening emotion.”

She grinned, and
he had to resist the urge to touch a fingertip to her lush lips. “What about sexual relationships? You’ve got a very powerful charm and attraction about you—something dark and mysterious. I don’t believe a man as remarkable as you would have remained celibate all this time.”

“You have a thirst for knowledge that I admire. But, I am not comfortable
with your scrutiny.” When she changed her grin to a pout, coils of dormant desire moved through his gut. He could deny her nothing, and that realization was dangerous. “Over the years there have been a handful of women with whom I have had a physical relationship. Those liaisons satisfied a base need of my body, nothing more.”

“What about love? Did any of those women touch your heart in an
unforgettable way?”

Edwin cleared his throat and threw her a pointed glance. If you wish to go
on a fishing expedition,
spatzi
, you should have brought a pole.

Is that supposed to be funny?

He sighed. “I have long ago accepted the fact I will be alone for the rest of my life. That is the way it should be. I am too dangerous, my job is too perilous, and my genes are too terrifying.” He hated the bitter note in his voice.

“I don’t see why you should deny yourself a bit of humanity. Your
parents obviously didn’t.” Her frown deepened. “You’re misunderstood, perhaps, but not dangerous. At first, I thought you might lean toward the that, but after schlepping around a state forest with you for two days, I’m convinced there’s a man with a sense of humor under your starchy exterior. I might get to see him sometime if you’ll just let yourself crack.”

Her green eyes drew him, and he leaned closer as the floral scent of her
soap wrapped around him. “There is nothing to misunderstand. I told you what I am. You must accept that, if not for your own safety, then for mine.”

She shook her head. “You’ve only told me a portion of the story. You
’re hiding a big secret.” She met his gaze with no trace of fear in her eyes.
Let me into your mind, damn it.

No. You are not ready.
Maybe he was the one not ready.

Her huff of disappointment lasted only a few seconds. “What exactly did
your grandfather tell you about me? Why do you only wear long pants and long sleeves in the middle of a humid Midwestern summer? Why, when you let me see into your soul in an unguarded moment, do I feel unbelievable sadness and anger as well as longing within you?”

“Ah
, you are too curious for your own good.” He leaned back against the sand dune and wrapped a strong arm about her shoulders then pulled her close to his side. “I will make a deal with you. I will answer one question now, but the rest will have to be saved for another time.”

“Do I get to pick the question?

He fought back a grin. “No. I wear the clothes I do because I have found when the sun is at its highest point, my skin tends to be sensitive and will retain a rash. It is a precautionary measure at best, but no need for concern.” Without conscious knowledge, he traced tiny circles on her arm until she shivered under his touch. He feared he was falling down a slippery slope, but was undecided if he wished to stop the slide.

“But your head is uncovered and I don’t see any rash,” she protested. She
lifted a hand, perhaps to touch his face, then apparently changed her mind and dropped it into her lap.

“I do not claim to understand the phenomenon.”

“I keep telling you, you don’t have to go through life alone. You just need to relax enough to let another person be your friend.”

“It is impossible. If you knew the rest of my story you would not think
so.”

Sighing, she snuggled into his side. “Then you’ll just have to tell me the
truth.”

“It is not advisable at this time.” He tucked her head beneath his chin,
wondering at the blanket of peace that accompanied the action. “Sleep while you can. I will wait for the ghost.” He would gladly sit on the beach for days, with her in his arms. Contentment such as this was never his for very long.

*****

Her heart pounded erratically as she ran. She searched the dark and empty streets for something, real or imaginary, she couldn’t say. Fear clogged her throat, robbed her breath. A man who had no scruples, who knew no compassion, who hunted her for sport, chased her. She darted down an alley and leaned her back against the cold brick wall of a building. It was impossible. She couldn’t out-run him. She was going to die.

The shadow of her pursuer appeared
at the alleyway entrance. She screamed as the long wicked blade of his knife glinted in the streetlight. She ran away only to crash headlong into the body of another man. His arms enfolded her protectively into his embrace…

Hannah opened her eyes with a start, puzzled. Her cheek rested on a black denim pillow. Vivid disjointed images skittered around her brain. They compelled and disturbed her all at once. It had been the worst dream yet.

“Does he chase you in every dream?” Edwin questioned, his voice low, his
hand cool and soothing as he tucked a wayward strand of short hair behind her ear.

She lay still, with her cheek on his thigh.
The dark waters of the lake ebbed and flowed and she hoped the gentle action would sooth the upheaval in her mind, but it wasn’t the waves that had the ability to calm her fears. The more time she spent in Edwin’s company, the more comfortable she felt in her own skin, as if she could come to grips with who she was. Maybe having a supernatural power didn’t make her the freak she once thought.

“Hannah?”
He brushed his fingers along her cheek and her insides warmed. “Is Andre present each time?”

“Not in every dream. Sometimes I feel an evil presence. I don’t know
who’s tormenting me. I wake up more exhausted than when I dropped off to sleep.”

“Andre knows you are close and is determined to find a way into your
mind through your dreams. He thinks you will give up.”

Give up.
She’d been doing that her whole life. She sat up and wiped the sand from her clothes with a steady hand. Maybe it was time for a change. “Is it important to you to find this Andre person?” She frowned as she studied his face, looking for signs of duplicity. “He’s the real object of your quest?”

“He is, and it is extremely important we find him together.”

Together
. That one little word caused a shiver to run down her spine. How long had it been since she’d been able to trust someone? To let another person share her burden? She continued to hold his gaze and saw nothing but honest concern. It tugged at her heart and chipped away at her resistance.

“The power of your mind is the only thing that will defeat our mutual
nemesis. Everything wholesome in this realm and the others needs you.”

Power. Destiny. Gifts.

Was it possible she’d been born for this specific time and purpose? Instead of being a curse, was her unique ability a saving grace? When Edwin cupped her chin in his hand, she trembled. Before her, an unmarked path beckoned with purpose; behind laid a darkened stretch of road where she’d spent her life running.

At that moment, gazing into the sapphire gaze of her vampire companion,
Hannah made the first decision she knew she would never regret. She would go on the journey with him for her sake as well as his. She may not understand what exactly an Enhancer was and she may not like what she found once she started digging, but she needed to try. “For some reason, Edwin Mason, I’m here, with you, and I’ll see this thing to the end. I want to know how to use my powers and why I have them. If you can help me with that, it’s a bonus.”

“I appreciate your support and yes, I can assist you in understanding
what it is you seek and what you can achieve.” He looked over her shoulder then nudged her hand. “I believe our ghost is here.”

The hair at the back of Hannah’s neck prickled as she turned in the
direction he indicated. An eerie, bluish-gray pearlescent apparition shimmered about a quarter of a mile down the beach from where they were. She waited in anxiety for the ghost to approach. “I can’t believe she’s real.”

“Believe it or not, all beings are real. Some just straddle
worlds and only a select few see them. People generally only see what they want to see and thereby miss half of what is truly around them.” He stood then pulled Hannah to her feet. “I am assuming you know the story of this ghost?”

She nodded. “Everyone in Indiana does. Her name was Alice Gray and
she was said to have been very beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that the anglers who spotted her swimming naked in the lake compared her to the goddess Diana, thus the nickname. She was a loner and a recluse who spent many hours at the local library and by herself here at the lakeshore.

“In 1920 she met a drifter and moved into his cabin with him. They were
happy together so the local community didn’t say much. In 1922 her companion was accused of murder and but was eventually set free. He and Alice moved to Michigan City and she had two children. The stories say she was beaten severely and that blunt force trauma was the primary cause of her death shortly after her second child was born in 1925. The legends in these parts claim the ghost of Alice returns to the beach she loved so much.” She shrugged. “That’s all I know. It’s gruesome at best. I don’t know if it’s true.”