Crimson Rush A Vampire Romance (Crimson Book 1) (18 page)

I didn’t seriously believe this, but I hoped Jonas did.

His sinister laughter wasn’t just unnerving - it was terrifying. Jonas did not conform to any code of conduct, vampire or human.

“Somehow I doubt that very much,” he said, moving closer to me until he was only inches away.

“Just one kiss,” he whispered, before brushing his lips against mine.

“Stop!” I yelped.

“What a shame you won’t let me show you the darker side of love.”

“Just leave me alone.” I tried to sound stern, but by voice cracked, giving away the fact that I was shaking inside.

The corners of his mouth lifted into what might pass for a smile. “By the way … she can’t hear you.”

“Who?” I asked, forgetting why I was in the Lavelle crypt in the first place.

“Emma. That’s why you are here isn’t it? I saw you standing near her crypt … and I know your secret about communicating with the dead.”

Folding my arms in front of me, I gave him a hard glare. “How do you know?”

“Small town gossip. You can find out just about anything about anyone.”

“Why won’t she answer me?” I asked, deciding I’d play along.

“She’s not really dead … just comatose. It’s the eternal sleep of the vampire.”

“So she can be awakened?” I asked, not really sure if I should believe what he was saying or not.

“Sure she can, but I wouldn’t want to be the one to do it. She is going to be pist at your Uncle Charlie … and ravenous,” he said with a chilly laugh.

Not being able to contact her made a little more sense now. Her soul was still trapped in darkness.

Marcus wrapped one arm around my waist and snuggled his face against my neck.

“If you bite me, I’m sure Marcus will know and do something about it.”

“That might be a little difficult to do, since he is all but dead already.”

His words brought on a different kind of horror. Now it wasn’t death, or being turned that scared me. He’d brought to the forefront of my mind, the thing I feared most. The thought of never seeing Marcus again brought on a sadness so intense, that for a moment, it was difficult to force my tongue to work.

“What do you mean he is all but dead?” I asked, my trembling voice betraying the fear that had now reached full bloom.

“I thought that might get your attention,” he said with a low chuckle. “You’ve never been able to fool me. I’ve known all along that you had a thing for him.”

“What do you mean about Marcus?” I asked again.

“He intends to give himself up to the vampire death by greeting the sunrise. It’s known as solar suicide … a fashionable end, for those vampires who no longer want to go on.”

“Why,” I gasped. “Why would he do something like that?”

“He is growing weak, and as much as I don’t understand it … he would rather die than do what he must do to survive.”

Shaking my head, I told him, “I don’t understand any of this.”

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Oh please Star … you’re not that clueless,” he said in a grumpy - tired voice.

“Yes I am that clueless!” I snapped back at him. “What the hell is going on?”

“The Lavelle’s are not the only cursed souls, Star. Marcus carries his own curse,” Jonas told me, as he took my hand in his and started leading me out of the crypt. “No reason for us to be in here.”

Outside, the wind was still blowing, but the rain had stopped. “Maybe you could  … I don’t know … be a little more specific,” I grumbled, pulling my hand from his.

“As you wish,” he said, tossing me a cold smile. “Centuries ago … a sorceress told him of a Moon Witch who would break his curse of eternal life.”

“So that is why he needs my blood?” I asked.

Jonas found a large headstone to sit on while we talked. “Oh it’s slightly more complicated than that.”

As for me, I preferred to stand. “Quit being so cryptic and explain.”

“Once he finds the Moon Witch … he must take her blood. He has to drain her until she is dead, or he will eventually slip into the eternal sleep of the vampire. But it gets worse than that. If he tastes the blood of the witch … his hunger will drive him until he kills her. He has no control over it,” Jonas added and then shrugged his broad shoulders. “I guess he prefers the solar death to the alternatives, which is to kill you, or the agony and pain of fading into the eternal darkness.”

All I could do was stand there and stare at him with my mouth open.

Could I really believe what he was saying?

”He had a chance to kill me and didn’t,” I spoke up.

Jonas smiled and lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “I can’t figure him out either. He’s been looking for you for a long long time, and now that he’s found you, he’s letting you go. Anyone else would already be dead, so you got me.”

Swallowing hard, I asked, “So how do we stop this … without me having to die to do it?”

Again he shrugged. “I don’t know sweetie. To tell you the truth, I was actually hoping you would know.”

“And why do you even care?” I asked, growing a little suspicious of his motives. Somehow Jonas didn’t strike me as the type to lose too much sleep over someone’s demise.

“I wouldn’t … but without Marcus there is no Night Reign,” he told me. “I enjoy the freedom of money, and don’t feel like finding another way to get it.”

“You have the Rush,” I shot back.

“That operation you saw, was to find the Moon Witch … but there are real Rush producers around here. That’s who your Reaper friends worked for.”

Waving away his words, I told him, “Let’s get back to Marcus.”

I figured that if Cookson Springs became a target for Rush producers again, I’d deal with it then. For now, my concern was Marcus. There was no way I could imagine a world that existed without him in it. Even the thought was enough to choke off my breath.

“When does he plan to do this?” I asked, unsure of how, or even if I could stop him. But I had to try.

“We are the surprise guests at Blood and Night,” he informed me.“ That is tonight, I suspect that after the show … it is his plan to greet the sunrise.”

I’d heard of Blood and Night. It was a Goth Rock festival that was held once a year. If I remembered right, the event was held in an old abandoned industrial park, north of Oklahoma City.

“That’s at least a three or four hour drive. I might get there before sunrise, but that doesn’t leave me much time to change his mind.” I said, my heart sinking.

Jonas got to his feet and held out his hand to me. “Do you trust me,” he asked, giving me a wicked - mischievous smile.

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. Of the few vampires I was acquainted with, Jonas was probably the one I trusted the least.

Lifting his shoulders, he said, “ You are going to have to  … or lose your precious Marcus.”

Groaning, I rested my hand in his. He surrounded my waist with his arms, and we quickly ascended into the dark - stormy sky.

“I thought only old vampires could fly? I didn’t think you were that old,” I told him.

Again there was that dark laughter that chilled me, no matter how many times I heard it.

“There is so much you don’t know about me, my Lady Star.”

In some places the crowd was so dense that people were literally shoulder-to-shoulder. There was almost no room to breathe. The band that was on, had the amps up too loud, but the people didn’t seem to mind.

The lead singer’s hair was jet black, almost certainly a dye job. His face was too pale to be his real complexion, unless he was a vampire. Of course this was a possibility, though I suspected he just had makeup on.

Jonas and I had been searching for Marcus since we’d arrive, but there was no sign of him.

“He’ll show soon,” Jonas assured me. “He has to … we’re due to go on in fifteen minutes.”

“What if he doesn’t? What if he’s changed his mind?” I couldn’t keep the anxiety out of my voice.

With each minute that went by, it seemed less likely we’d be able to convince Marcus that there had to be another way.

Jonas shook his head. “He won’t. Marcus was the one who insisted we do this show.”

At that moment, a hush came over the crowd, and I was startled by the sudden silence. It was then that my eyes strayed to the stage.

I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

Marcus had taken the microphone away from the Goth singer, and was now staring out at the people.

I moved closer to the stage - close enough that I could see how right Jonas was. Marcus didn’t look well at all.

The Marcus on the stage was almost unrecognizable to the man I’d first seen perform. He was paler than usual, and his long blond hair was in wild disarray. Tonight he was wearing nothing but blue jeans and boots. He made for a disturbing image, but it was his eyes that I found most alarming. They were the eyes of a very hungry predator. 

“What is he doing?” I asked.

“His hunger is driving him insane,” Jonas growled. “He needs to feed.”

There was no chance to respond before Marcus’s voice rang out over the audience.

“Who here believes in vampires?”

The people began cheering, and lots of hands fly into the air. I couldn’t help but wonder if they actually believed, or if they were just going along with what they mistakenly assumed to be part of the show.

Marcus’s dark laughter filled the night. It was then I saw his fangs. Alarmed, I glanced over at Jonas. Judging by the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing I was.

If anyone in the audience got a little too curious about those fangs, this could mean big trouble for Night Reign, and vampires in general.

“Jonas. You better get up there and see if you can settle him down.”

Without a word to me, Jonas started for the stage, but he wouldn’t make it in time to keep Marcus from saying more.

“Those of you who do not believe in the darkness of the soul … in eternal damnation … are fools!” he hollered.

“All of us have that darkness … and once it is released, it will feed on your light … until it is no more.”

Marcus turned sharply in my direction, and I suddenly found myself staring into his glistening blue eyes.

He’d sensed my presence.

Jonas was at his side now, but it was as if Marcus couldn’t see him. His eyes were glued to mine. I could feel him pulling at me - summonsing me.

I resisted.

Looking to his side, Marcus held out his hand to someone. A minute later, a stagehand brought him a sleek - black electric guitar. Jonas now had a guitar as well. Allan had taken his place behind the drums, and the bass player had also appeared.

Marcus lifted both arms to the night sky and the stage exploded with fire.

“To the night! To the darkness!” he yelled, his voice carrying over the roar of the crowd.

Grasping the guitar, he slid his fingers across the strings. An electric twang split the air. Suddenly, drops of liquid sprayed from something that had been suspended over the stage. Both the crowd and band were covered with drops of crimson.

Marcus stepped closer to the microphone, and when he spoke, his eyes locked with mine.

“Tears of the Vampire!” he screamed. “All the tears he cries … he cries for you,” Marcus added in a softer tone.

As he sang of darkness, and the endless torment of loving someone you can never have, I felt my heart shatter into pieces of raw pain so agonizing, I could barely breath.

There was darkness in his hypnotic voice, but there was also a love in it that made his words seem almost magical.

But the pain was horrendous.

I loved Marcus. This I knew beyond doubt. I also knew that if he should greet the sun, I would forever live within the torment of his song.

As his words died away, and the music went silent, I could already feel the anguish of a lost love taking over my soul.

Red mist spewed from the sides of the stage until the band was no longer visible. When the mist cleared, Marcus was gone.

The rest of the members of Night Reign were looking around in confusion. This was clearly not part of the show.

Fear ripped through my chest like I’d been hit with dozens of flying razors.

“Marcus!” I screamed as loud as I could.

It didn’t matter. Even if he were near enough to hear me, my cries would not be heard over the cheer of the crowd.

Then I felt him - felt his essence mingling with mine - felt him calling to me. This time I was submissive. I let that calling guide me through the masses of people. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I was getting closer. The sensation of him filling my entire being with his yearning, had taken possession of me.

Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me and before I knew it, I was being lifted into the air. It happened so fast, it was unlikely anyone near me had noticed a thing. I was flying through the night at such speeds that everything was a blur of motion.

Had this been nothing more than a ruse, to get me where he wanted, so he could then take what he needed from the Moon Witch?

There was a flicker of fear in my heart, but it was quickly doused by the total and complete love I felt for him. I knew then that I would give up my life, so that I would never have to feel the pain of living without him.

With me in his arms, Marcus sailed through the sky, for what seemed like forever, before I felt our motion slow. We were almost floating to the ground.

At first, I was too disoriented to take in my surroundings, but as the world stopped spinning, I saw that we were on a beach, somewhere on the eastern seashore.

That meant sunrise would come an hour sooner.

Once I’d gotten my bearings, I realized Marcus was no longer beside me. He was kneeling in the sand - gazing out at the sea.

“Why are we here Marcus?” I asked, though in my heart I already knew, at least I thought I did.

“The sea is so peaceful … so serene, don’t you think?” he asked, ignoring my question.

Falling to my knees beside him, I brushed long strands of flaxen hair from his face. “You don’t have to do this Marcus. We can find a way.”

“There is no way. It is my curse.”

“Look at me Marcus,” I pleaded.

Shaking his head, he growled. “If I look at you … I will kill you. To be this close to you, is dangerous.”

“Please try. You have to try!”

“Back off,” he barked, before scrambling a few feet away from me. Still, he would not turn in my direction.

There was no way I was giving up that easily. Defying him, I moved to his side again, but before I could say anything, he held up a hand to stop me.

“Each day I grow weaker. It is better for me to die, than to exist in eternal sleep. Then my soul will finally be free to go to the light.”

“You grow weaker because you are not feeding. Feed from me,” I said, offering my wrist to him.

He shook his head violently. “I am not strong enough. If I even start to feed from you … you will die. I can’t control it … and it is part of my curse.”

“Why did you bring me here then?” I asked.

“I want your face to be the last I see on this earth,” he whispered.

“I will die before I live without you,” I vowed.

For the first time since we’d come down on the beach, Marcus turned toward me, and I was instantly falling into those beautiful bright vampire eyes. At that moment, they were a contrast of fire and ice. Just the way he was looking at me, sent my heart racing, but at the same time, I felt as if I were being surrounded by the chill of the Nordic wind.

“Since the beginning of my existence in this hellish darkness … you have been the only light in my life. I have kept that light safe inside of me. I
will not
be the one to put out that light,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

“That’s what you came to Cookson Springs for … to find me.”

“I went to Cookson Springs to find the Moon Witch. You and the Moon Witch were the two people I needed most. One of you was my life … the other I must kill to save my life. How ironic that you turned out to be one in the same. This must be that cursed witch’s idea of a joke.”

The bitterness and sadness in his voice tore at my heart. Knowing that we had little time left, I said no more. Instead, I pressed my lips against his and opened my mouth, inviting the intimacy of his tongue. His kiss was full of passion, and an overwhelming hunger.

I was left gasping for breath when he pulled away.

“We can’t do this Star,” he whispered.

This time his eyes glistened with tears instead of hunger.

“Love can overcome the darkness. I just know it,” I insisted.

Marcus shook his head.

“Try it,” I urged. “Feed from me, and you will see that love is stronger.”

“You are fooling yourself,” he told me, before turning away.

Out of pure frustration, I pulled my hair to the side and place my beating artery near his lips. “Feed from me Marcus. Take from me what you need to live. Do it for me.”

The temptation was too great. As I felt the sting of his fangs sinking into my flesh, and my life essence slowly seeping away, I was suddenly thrown into a swirling mass of snow - ice and fire.

I saw Marcus as a child playing near the sea of the Norse country, I saw him running wild and free in the green grass of mid summer, and then the scene changed again. Now I saw the two of us, standing atop a hill in the Scottish Highlands. The vampire and the man came together, and they both loved me.

My eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was Marcus’s face painted with terror and self-loathing.

But I was still alive!

“Star!” My name slid from his lips like he were saying a prayer. He kissed me once again, this time the tenderness in his kiss, spread through me - covering me with warmth, like a soft down blanket in mid winter.

Slowly - sensually, he removed my clothes, and as he did, his hands worshipped my body with soft - gentle caresses.

This time when I felt him enter me and we came together, it was like ascending to heaven after an eternity of darkness.

I knew then, we would find a way. Light and love would overcome evil. It had to.

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