Vampire Shift (Kiera Hudson Series #1) (22 page)

Turning back to Luke, I stroked his hair from his brow and kissed him. With a flutter of his eyelids, he opened his eyes and looked at me. He half-smiled and said my name.

“Shhh,” I told him.

“Kiera,” he said again. “I’ve got to go back,” he whispered.

“I know,” I told him. “I’ll wait here for you.”

Then momentarily closing his eyes in pain, he opened them again and said, “I won’t be coming back here. When I’m better, I’ll be going with Murphy and Potter to track down the others.”

“Where will you go?” I asked him, scared at the prospect of never seeing him again.

“Wherever they go, so will we, until it’s over,” he whispered. “I don’t know how long that will take or where it will lead us.”

Tears fell onto my cheeks, and raising an unsteady hand he wiped them away. Then taking my hand in his, Luke said, “Come with us. You’re a great investigator and you can
see
things that we can’t. You could help us.”

All of my instincts urged me to agree – to say yes. Not to help hunt Taylor and Phillips – but so I could be with Luke and not to be parted from him. The thought of not being with him, not to ever be held by him again scared me more than any vampire.

Leaning in close, and kissing him on the mouth, I whispered, “No.”

“No?” he said, looking confused and hurt.

“However much I want to come with you – to be with you Luke, I can’t,” I told him, my heart aching as I said those words.

“Why?”

“I have a promise to keep,” I said, thinking of my father.

“To who?” he asked, closing his eyes again.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. Then picturing Henry Blake’s tiny dead hand clutching those hairs, I added, “I need to find my mother.”

“But she could be dead,” Luke said, his eyes still closed as if trying to control the pain that he was in.

“I don’t think she is,” I told him.

“But how can you be sure?”

“It was something I
saw
,” I whispered.

Murphy appeared in the cell doorway. “It’s time,” he said, coming over and scooping Luke up into his arms. He carried him out into the corridor and I followed. The hatch was open, and the filing cabinets, lockers and desk drawers lay open and empty.

“Where’s Potter?” I asked.

“He had to do one last thing before he could leave,” Murphy said, glancing back over his shoulder at me. Then laying Luke on the floor by the open grate, he looked at me and said, “Take good care of yourself, Constable Hudson. It’s been a pleasure working with you.” Then taking me by surprise, he threw his arms around me and held me tight. I hugged him back.

“None of you are real cops, are you?” I asked him.

“Not the way you think,” he whispered in my ear. “But in The Hollows we are – kind of. We want to stop the bad guys just like you do.”

Letting go of me, he pulled his pipe from his back pocket and popped the end of it between his lips. Then patting down his pockets, in search of his matches, he said, “Where has Potter gone to? We should be gone already.”

“Stop panicking, sarge,” someone said, and I looked up to see Potter coming down the corridor from the direction of the police station door. Shaking snow from his hair and bare shoulders, he shuddered, but not with the cold, it was his wings folding away.

Murphy climbed into the hole. Then holding out his hands, he said to Potter, “Pass Luke down to me.”

I watched as Potter scooped Luke up and lowered him into the hole. With my heart feeling like it was being crushed in my chest, Luke opened his eyes and looked back at me. “I love you,” he said.

“I know,” I smiled, and he was gone.

Potter climbed into the hole.

“What about me?” I said.

“What about you?” he asked, looking back at me.

“How do I get out of this town? The phones don’t work, my car is stuck up that road and -”

Cutting over me, Potter said, “That’s your problem, Hudson. You figure it out.” Pulling the grate closed over him, he swung it shut. Then poking his hand up through the grating, he locked it with the padlock, taking the key with him.

Standing over the grate and looking down, I could hear a rumbling sound as the walls of the tunnel collapsed, hiding any evidence that it had ever been there.

Turning away, I walked back into the office, picking up knocked-over chairs and straightening disarranged cabinets and drawers. With no idea as to what to do next, I knew that until the weather changed, I was trapped in The Ragged Cove. Crossing to the window, I looked up into the dawn sky and to my relief I could see that the snow had stopped falling at last. Then I saw something that raised my hopes even more. Rushing from the police station, I went to my battered old Mini which now sat by the curb.
Who had brought it here for me?
I wondered. Then spying a folded piece of paper tucked beneath one of the wipers, I reached for it. Pulling it free, I unfolded the piece of paper and read what had been scribbled on it.

You really need to get yourself a new car – this is a piece of junk! Potter

Smiling to myself, I screwed up the piece of paper and went back into the station, locking the door behind me.

Vampire Wake!

Book Two in The Kiera Hudson Series

Available Now

Also by Tim O’Rourke

‘Vampire Wake’ (Kiera Hudson Series Book Two)

‘Black Hill Farm’ (Book One)

‘Black Hill Farm: Andy’s Diary’ (Book Two)

Doorways (Book One)

About the Author:

Working away in the dead of night, Tim has written many short stories, plays and novels. His most recent book 'Vampire Wake' (book two in the Kiera Hudson series) is now available. Tim is also the author of the paranormal romance series entitled 'Black Hill Farm' and ‘Doorways’ – A book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic.

Tim's interests other than writing, include watching South Park, Vampire Diaries, True Blood and listening to Pitbull, LMFAO, Jennifer Lopez, David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Adele. Tim is never happier than when reading The Twilight Series, Vampire Diaries and writing his own Vampire series “Vampire Shift.”

Don't be shy; feel free to contact Tim at
[email protected]
- Tim would love to hear from you.

To contact Tim:

Email:
[email protected]

Website:
www.Ravenwoodgreys.com