Dance of Death (7 page)

Ever since I saw Justin drink Honoria's blood, all I want to do is finish translating these old papers. I locked myself in my laboratory so I could work on them undisturbed.

I won't even let Honoria come in to see me. I haven't come out for days and days. I'm not sure how many.

I know Honoria is hurt. Our wedding is coming closer and closer. But I can't stop working, not even for her. Until I've solved the mystery, I can't rest.

Oh, my Honoria. Do you understand what I'm doing? Why I am behaving this way?

I'm trying to save us both. Trying to find a way out of all this. And the only way to do it is to uncover the true meaning of these papers.

What is the secret of eternal life? Why is blood the key?

Justin is acting more and more strangely. He comes to see me several times a day.

Each time, I can feel him watching. Waiting. It's almost as if he knows something. Something that he isn't telling me.

It only makes me more dtetermined to finish translating the papers. When I'm done, this horrible nightmare will all be over. I can marry Honoria. We can start a new life, somewhere far away.

Far away from Justin's evil.

There, I've written it. The words I've been afraid to say. Justin's evil.

I don't know what is happening to Justin. But I do know that all goodness has left him. He no longer wants to uncover the secret of eternal life to help others. He wants to keep it all for himself.

I don't understand how he could have changed so much. But I do know one thing.

I know that Justin is turning into something monstrous.

I don't want what is happening to him to happen to me.

Exhausted, Tobias set his pen down. He dropped his head into his hands.

I can't go on this way, he thought. I can't go on much longer.

When he closed his eyes, images of the strange, ancient writing danced inside his head.

I'm so close. So close to uncovering the secret. So close to being able to take Honoria far away from here.

The thought of Honoria strengthened Tobias's resolve to continue working. He lifted his head and pushed his journal aside. He began to study the papers again.

It is best if the innocent participates willingly,
he translated.
But it isn't absolutely necessary. The thing that is most important is that the blood transfer take place.

Tobias wrinkled his forehead. This still doesn't make any sense, he thought wearily. And I've been working on it for days.

Why wouldn't someone be willing to undergo a procedure which would enable them to live forever? And why did the word translate as “innocent” instead of “patient?”

After the blood transfer, the soul of the innocent begins to fall under the power of the—

Here a word Tobias couldn't translate appeared in the manuscript. He flipped through his notes.

The first part of the word was soul, he was sure of that. He recognized it from where it appeared earlier in the manuscript.

After the blood transfer, the soul of the innocent begins to fall under the power of the soul—

The soul what? Tobias thought. This just doesn't make any sense. It's more like a magic ritual than a medical procedure.

He opened a dictionary that had arrived just that morning. One that contained many of the ancient words in the papers. Tobias ran his fingers through the dusty old pages until he found the word he wanted.

He stared at it, his heart hammering.

Thief.

The word meant thief.

No! Tobias thought. This can't be right. If the word was thief, then the sentence in the papers read:

After the blood transfer, the soul of the innocent begins to fall under the power of the soul-thief.

Soul-thief, Tobias thought. Soul-stealer.

The more pure and more beautiful the innocent,
the papers continued,
the more beautiful the soul-stealer will become. The soul-stealer will gain twenty years of life, for each innocent life he takes. Then, another must be taken for the soul-stealer to live on.

Another, Tobias thought. Another innocent victim. A cycle of evil that went on and on.

The way to live forever was not to stimulate the circulation of the blood. It was to drink it. To drink the innocent blood of others. To feed off them. To steal their very souls.

Tobias swept the papers and the dictionary off his desk. They fell to the floor with a crash.

Evil, Tobias thought. Unspeakable evil.

And it was just what Justin wanted.

Whose blood will he drink? Tobias thought. Who will be Justin's first victim?

The memory of Justin licking the blood from Honoria's handkerchief sprang into his mind.

No! Tobias thought. Not my Honoria!

Tobias glanced around the laboratory for a weapon. He scooped up one of his sharpest scalpels. Then he raced down the passage to Justin's house.

After the blood transfer, the soul of the innocent begins to fall under the power of the soul-stealer.

The words repeated themselves again and again in Tobias's mind.

I'll find a way to stop you, Justin! Tobias vowed.

If he didn't, he'd lose his reason to go on living.

Honoria.

Justin's first innocent victim is going to be Honoria!

Chapter

12

T
obias dashed through the passage toward Justin's home.

It's so dark, he thought. Dark and airless. Justin could be hiding in this tunnel. Waiting for me …

He felt himself stumble, and he grabbed at the wall for balance. Then he raced on, gasping for breath.

Nothing is going to stop me from reaching Justin. I've got to protect Honoria.

A door loomed up before him. Tobias skidded to a halt.

Was Justin on the other side, waiting for him? Tobias pressed his ear against the door.

He didn't hear a sound. The Fear house stood silent and still.

What if it's all over? What if I figured everything out too late?

What if Honoria died thinking I didn't care about her?

Creeeaak!

Tobias eased the door open and peeked out. Justin's passage ended in his bedroom, just as Tobias's did.

The room appeared empty. Tobias didn't waste any more time. He dashed to the bedroom door, opened it slowly and stepped into the hall.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

The only sound Tobias could hear was Justin's tall clock in the hallway. Silently, he crept along the upstairs hall. He glided down the stairs, his heart pounding.

I must be ready, he thought, tightening his hold on the scalpel. Justin could discover me at any time.

Don't let me be too late, Tobias prayed. He heard a sound from the drawing room and started in that direction. Let Honoria be safe.

When he reached the room, a figure in white stood staring out the window. The full moon bathed the slim figure in an eerie, silvery light.

Tobias forgot the need for silence. “Honoria!” he cried out.

Breathless, he watched as Honoria slowly turned toward him. Her face looked ghostly pale in the moonlight. Her skin appeared almost translucent. Velvety purple shadows ringed her large eyes. Her once rosy lips were tinged with a bluish hue.

It is as if he's draining her soul already, Tobias realized in horror. As if her spirit were wasting away.

“My Tobias,” Honoria whispered. “He told me you had forgotten all about me. That you no longer loved
me. But I knew he lied. I knew you would come. You haven't forgotten what today is, have you?”

She's in her wedding dress, Tobias realized. He felt a sudden pain seize his heart. Our wedding day! Today is our wedding day.

He slipped the scalpel into the pocket of his coat and rushed toward her. Honoria took a step toward him, and collapsed into his arms.

“Honoria,” Tobias whispered helplessly. He stroked her golden hair and clasped her to his chest. Her skin felt cold. Deathly cold. “It's all right,” he told her. “I'm here now, my love.”

Honoria trembled in his arms. He heard her try to speak as her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

“Don't talk now,” he urged her. “Let me warm you.” He held her closer. His efforts did nothing to help her. Great shudders racked her body. She clung to Tobias, too weak to stand on her own.

“I knew it,” she repeated over and over. “I knew that you still loved me. I knew that you would come.”

While I hid myself away in the laboratory, working night and day for Justin, he worked night and day as well, scheming to destroy the woman I love.

“Honoria,” he begged. “Please, don't cry. I'll take you away from here today. I promise.”

“Oh, Tobias …” She sighed against his shoulder.

“It's too late, Tobias,” a chilling voice behind him cried.

Tobias spun around quickly, thrusting Honoria behind him to shield and protect her. Justin stood at the drawing room door.

Justin's eyes burned with an eerie, bright blue flame. His lips were bright red, as red as Honoria's heart's blood.

Evil, Tobias thought. Justin embodies evil.

And I'm the only one who can stop him.

Vomit rose to clog Tobias's throat. He could taste it, sour and disgusting. Feel it burn the back of his throat.

“She will never be yours,” he panted. He jerked his scalpel out of his pocket. “I know what you intend to do. I will kill you before I let you hurt her.”

Justin threw back his head and laughed.

“You can't hurt me, Tobias,” he answered as he swaggered into the room. “I'm stronger than you are. And smarter. Richer and better looking. Face it, my friend, I've always been a better man than you. But I'm prepared to be generous, just like always.”

Justin smiled and Tobias backed up a step.

“I'll share her with you, Tobias. We can both drink her blood. That way we can both live forever, Tobias. We can have everything we ever wanted.

“You'd like that, Tobias, wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you?
Drink her blood, Tobias.”

PART FIVE

Madeline

Chapter

13

Shadowbrook, New York, 1873

J
ustin's lips curled against Madeline's palm as he sucked her blood.

Madeline heard the slurping sound of his mouth against her warm, wet hand. The sound made her feel as if she were going insane.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and struggled wildly. Justin closed his eyes, his lips fastening even more tightly to her flesh.

His grip on her wrist was stronger than an iron manacle. She tried to pull her arm away, and he twisted her wrist until she felt as if the bone would snap in two.