JARHARIS (4 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

An array of lights—amber, red, blue—splintered around him.
The darkness turned to gleaming brightness, pulsed and flickered. A swell of sound pierced his ears. He snarled and tried to shut out the noise. The earth beneath his feet seemed to move, shifting his body first to one side, then the other. Thinking he might lose his footing, he groped in the darkness, searching for something solid to cling to.

Sparks
as brilliant as the stars shining overhead ricocheted around him. Invisible forces pulled at his body, tugging at his clothing and pressing against his chest. He felt breathless, confused, his head throbbed. He closed his eyes to the bright lights assaulting his senses. The waves of undulating forces tearing at his body manifested shards of fright coursing through his insides.

He knew he was in no danger of being killed—he was already dead—yet the forces tearing at his body were unfamiliar and therefore deserved his attention. He tried to gain perspective of what was taking place. Was this some sort of consequence he had made for himself in journeying so far ahead in time?

An overpowering force slammed into his chest suddenly, pitching him back. He fell, lunging through inky darkness that seemed to have no end. He groped at the unknown, falling, falling…

He felt the force pressing inward, taking the breath from his lungs. Was this the end? Did a vampire have an end—aside from a wooden stake in the heart? He rebuked the thought—hurtling through the darkness without benefit of knowing what awaited him when it came to an end. Surely it would come to an end. The thought pierced his brain.

The barrage of ear-shattering sounds and the flashing of innumerable lights continued until he could stand it no longer. He opened his mouth and released a great bellow of discord. The lights paused, pulsed then resumed, seeming to close in on his mind. He gnashed his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. He could stand it no longer.

The sensation of falling ended suddenly. Something solid pressed against his back. He felt breathless. He blinked his eyes, clearing his mind. The lights had stopped their incessant flashing and were gone. He realized he was lying on his back, his arms raised as though protesting his treatment, his legs stretched out before his body. His muscles ached. For an instant he dared to believe that he had feelings akin to when he was mortal—but the notion passed in a frenzy of muddled thoughts as he got to his feet.

He stared at his surroundings, for he was no longer on the street in the darkness. He was in a room, a lavishly furnished room with a high ceiling and elaborate crystal chandelier. He gazed about, identifying
a brocade
covered couch and matching chair, an assortment of glass topped tables. Marble floors stretched out before him, leading into yet another room. He walked toward a tall doorway, his senses alert. Surely he was being tricked. But he was at a loss as to whom he should fear as the culprit.

He spied yet another large room stemming off the first, furnished just as elaborately, then another room materialized before his eyes. He paused and gazed about. He felt no other presence besides his own. He raised his fist clutching the witch’s amulet and stared at it. His fingers ached, his muscles clenched so tightly that his knuckles were painful in the tight clasp.

Finally deciding that he was alone, he strolled through the many rooms, seven, he counted, the last being a darkened bedroom. He smelled the fragrance of soil before he set foot inside the chamber.

Chamber?
Indeed. The room was a chamber fashioned very much like the one he had sought solace in at his fortress in
Morganford
thousands of years ago. He strode inside and let his nose guide him to the fresh earth. Serenity came upon him, soothing his senses and reassuring his thoughts. His keen eyesight honed in on the object standing before him. He breathed a sigh of relief and reached one hand out. The cool feel of earth met his inquiring fingers. A smile touched his lips. He felt weary suddenly and sought the comforting solitude that awaited him. He crawled within his beloved homeland dirt and stretched out, the amulet clutched in one hand. He closed his eyes. The sleep of the dead was upon him.

* * * *

Jarharis
opened his eyes. The room was dark just as it had been when he chose to end the first night of his time in the present. He lay still and listened, aware that he was in a foreign place. No sounds came to his ears. He levered himself up and left his earthy sanctuary.

The fragrance of earth clung to his clothing. He breathed in the aroma, once more feeling that sense of reassurance he needed so badly. He left the room and ventured out into the hallway.

I didn’t imagine the whole thing.
When he was mortal, he believed that seeing
was believing
. And once he had been changed forevermore, he still clung to that concept, despite the fact that he had witnessed many things uncommon to either mortal or immortal man. He ran one hand through his hair, realizing that his long tresses were secured at his nape. He gazed down at his clothing surprised to see he was no longer wearing his rough tunic and britches.

“What happened?” He realized he had spoken aloud and gazed about as if expecting to see another being then, finding no one, he quickly inspected his new clothing. He wore tight fitting jeans like those the blonde woman’s companions had been wearing. His
shirt was loose and open
at the throat. A gold watch adorned his left wrist. Sleek black boots were on his feet. He marveled at the transformation.

Hunger gnawed at his stomach. He turned his thoughts to feeding. He walked through the rooms, searching for a way out. Finding the first room he had awakened in, he reversed his steps and found what appeared to be the entryway. A large wooden door flanked by two long windows covered in burgundy velvet stood on one side of the room. He walked to it and took hold of the brass doorknob.

Place the amulet around your neck.

He swung around at the sound of the voice, the amulet clutched in his hand. Finding no one, he raised his hand and inspected the chain on the gem. An odd feeling urged him to place the necklace around his neck. He slipped his head through the chain and the bauble slid into place between his male nipples. He looked down upon it for a second, remembering a time when he had tried to place it around his neck and could not. By some force, whether magical or otherwise, he had managed to activate the amulet’s powers.

He felt immensely pleased—though a bit unnerved, too. He had clearly heard a voice speaking to him, commanding him to place the necklace around his neck. He hadn’t been imagining the voice. His hearing was too keen for imaginary voices to trick him. He considered investigating his new quarters, but decided to give in to his need to feed instead. He clutched the doorknob and gave it a twist.

The door gave no resistance to his strength, opening easily on its brass hinges. He peered beyond the structure, identifying a wide street with several large trees flanking it. He was clearly in a house, he decided, his brow rising upward in surprise. He paused only a moment, glancing up and down the road while he decided which direction to take.

He hoped this night proved more productive than the previous one. Thoughts of Selena, the blonde vixen he had encountered last night became vivid in his mind. He could see her long blonde hair and her naked body. He smiled slightly, his full lips pulling upward at the corners. He’d like to see her again. Perhaps bite her neck again.

He shook his head and stepped through the doorway into the darkness of the night. A quick thought and he
shapeshifted
into a bird and took to the air. The lights of the city were easy to see from his lofty position above the buildings. The stench of the city penetrated his senses, bringing back memories of his travels in
Europe
so long ago. A thought suddenly assailed him. Perhaps he would return to
Europe
some day. He had all the time in the world.

The thought brought a battery of emotions to the fore. He strove to rid his mind of the conflict and find a willing victim to feed on. His body felt the effects of going without nourishment for the duration of all day. He soared on a light breeze then came to land in a tall tree at the edge of a sprawling park. He looked about, wondering why he had suddenly chosen that particular spot to stop in. He had spotted a multitude of people coming from a nightclub—finding a victim to feed on would be easy with so many in the crowd. He could simply immerse himself within their midst and choose whom he desired.

Voices sounded beneath the tree. He leaned forward to get a better look and recognized Selena’s companions from the previous evening. Surprise filtered through his insides. Was he to be subjected to those dolts again? They seemed so juvenile in their quest to hunt vampires. Surely they were wasting their time with the frivolous game. He sighed and turned his ears to their conversation beneath the tree.

“If their numbers increase, we’ll all be in danger.”

“We need more hunters. That’s for sure.”

“We should go to the police.”

“Are you nuts? The cops would laugh at us.”

“But we have proof.”

“Like hell we do. Garrett may have said he killed one of the bastards, but there was no body to show for his efforts. Remember? There wasn’t even a sign of a struggle.”

“Well hell no there was no signs of a struggle! If you catch a vampire before it gets dark, he’s at your mercy.”

“That may be, but there was no body!”

Jarharis
listened and discounted their conversation. Did they really think they were smart enough to destroy a vampire in the case that they could actually find one? He watched the three and deemed their vampire hunting to be a fantasy game they were intent on playing out.

He leapt from the branch and took to the air. Traveling into the heart of the city, he landed beside a building and
shapeshifted
into his male body. Stepping from the shadows he joined a group of young men walking on the sidewalk. The young man walking beside him glanced in his direction and
Jarharis
took the opportunity to clasp a hand atop his shoulder. Immediately he was under his command. He pulled him into the first dark alley he spied and pushed him against the wall. In a moment he was sinking his teeth into his vein and nourishing his body with his warm blood.

He drank only as much as necessary, soon releasing the young man and allowing him to rejoin his peers walking up the sidewalk.
Jarharis
stood in the shadows and savored the renewal of his body.

A low chuckle sounded behind him.

Jarharis
whirled around.

“Whoa! It’s cool, man.”

A tall, well-dressed man stood in front of him, a smile gracing his thin lips. He held up both hands as if to ward off an attack from
Jarharis
. He was dressed similar to
Jarharis
—jeans, tailored shirt open at the neck and leather boots. His hair was cut short and stood up in spikes on his head. A diamond earring gleamed in his left earlobe.

“I’m Aston.” He shoved one hand at
Jarharis
.

He’s a vampire.
Jarharis
knew who he was before he introduced himself. The fact that his keen powers hadn’t sensed him earlier was only due to his needing to feed—and the fact that until a few moments ago—Aston had been in another part of the city. He surveyed him as he awaited
Jarharis’s
greeting. He was young, about twenty-four, with many centuries behind him. He harbored many regrets and was laden with much sorrow. But
Jarharis
sensed cunningness about him, a sly demeanor that wasn’t to be overlooked. Whether becoming a vampire was the reason for his slyness, or whether he had been of that nature while still a mortal, he couldn’t tell. But he was wary of him immediately.

Jarharis
pulled in a long breath and clasped Aston’s hand.
“
Jarharis
.”

“Are you the one the vampire hunters are looking for?”

Jarharis
chuckled. “Do you seriously believe they are capable of finding and destroying one of us?”

Aston shook his head. “I don’t know about you, but I’m too smart to be apprehended by the local vampire club.”

Jarharis
raised an eyebrow in speculation. Until that moment he hadn’t fully understood the reasoning behind the group’s mission. Suddenly he understood why the blonde woman wanted him to be on her side. They were evidently divided into groups and sent out to hunt down imaginary vampires. He raised one hand and rubbed his chin, thinking. “Who’s the president of this vampire club?”

Aston shrugged his thin shoulders. “I hear they have to elect a new one quite often.
Seems vampires keep sucking the life out of them.”
He threw back his head and laughed jeeringly.

Jarharis
chuckled. “Do they have a club house?” His mind was suddenly racing. Thoughts propelled briskly one after the other. He couldn’t explain why it was happening, but he seemed to be suddenly very knowledgeable about the present time. He understood Aston’s meaning about the vampire club and the little joke he made about them having to elect new presidents. Hell! He even knew the brand names of the clothes he wore. He thought suddenly of the amulet. He reached inside his shirt and traced one finger along its metal chain. Had its powers enabled him to know about the time period?