Winter's Touch (Immortal Touch Series) (11 page)

“I thought vampires hated the daylight,” she commented.

“That particular bit of folklore is myth. As a matter of fact, most of the stories are.”

“But not all?”

“Every legend has a grain of truth in it somewhere.”

She pondered this.
“So then which ones are true?”

“The ones that aren’t false.”

She wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not. Maybe he was just trying to avoid answering her question.

“What about garlic and holy water, all that?”

“What about it?”

“Does it bother you?”

“Why should it bother me?”

“Are you being obtuse on purpose?”

He smiled. “Garlic and holy water have no adverse effects on me. And before you ask, neither do crosses.”

“I don’t suppose you’d tell me if there
was
something you were vulnerable to.”

“I would not.”

“So are there others like you?”

“Not that I know of. It’s possible, but highly improbable.
”

Improbable. After this, nothing would surprise her. Bigfoot, zombies, the
Creature from the Black Lagoon. They could all be real for all she knew. Maybe the monster from her childhood closet had been there all along. She just never saw him.

“Lainie says you were going to practice law.”

“Yes. I was an undergraduate, just one year from my bachelors degree. I should have already graduated, but I decided to take some time off due to burnout. To be honest, law wasn’t particularly my cup of tea. That was Grandfather’s aspiration.”

“What
did
you want to do?”

“What difference does it make now? What did
you
want to do?”

It bothered her the way he referred to her ambitions in the past tense. “Elementary education. I wanted
...
want
to teach grade school. Guess I won’t be finishing out the semester though.” She waited to hear his response to that.

To her frustration, h
e opted to change the subject. “It’s colder than average for October. Long-range weather forecast predicts a harsh winter. We’ll likely see snow early this year.”

“How far are we from
...anyone?” She didn’t really expect an answer to this question either.

“Not as far as it seems.
The jeep trail goes on for just over two miles before it reaches a main road. Any other direction is forest and mountains. The closest community is Brightwood, though you won’t find much there. Portland’s about an hour away.” He shot her a firm look. “That is not a suggestion to take off again. You’d never make it. The wildlife would make a meal of you.”

So close, and yet so very, very far.

“Can you control other animals besides the wolves?”

He smiled
again, but said nothing. A mere sixty seconds later she heard a dry rustle in the woods to her left and looked over, expecting to see a squirrel or maybe even one of the wolves.

Wrong.

She stiffened, fingers tightly clenching Julian’s blue ski jacket.

“
Oh...my
gosh.
Is that what I think it is?”

The
mountain lion approached stalwartly, evaluating them with shining yellow-green eyes. It wasn’t afraid, but neither did it seem threatening. Outside of a zoo she’d never seen one up close.

“I seem to remember you like cats.”

“Yeah, but...this is nothing like Rio!”

“Would you like to touch her?”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” She eyed the enormous paws dubiously. Those claws were not something she’d want to feel ripping into her flesh.

“Of course. She won’t hurt you.”

Eva cautiously reached out, first touching the huge cat’s golden head with her fingertips, then scratching when she grew bolder. The animal began to purr, a deep sound so unexpectedly loud it closely resembled the idle of a car engine. She was amazed that such a wild creature could seem so docile. Contrary to what she’d just said, this cat really
did
behave like an oversized version of Rio.

“I can
not believe I’m actually standing here petting a mountain lion!”

“Best not try that on your own.” He seemed pleased by her enthusiasm.

“Believe me, I wouldn’t.”

“Run along now.” He smacked the cat’s flank lightly, and it sprang gracefully away
without looking back. “I suppose that answered your question sufficiently.”

Eva had a sudden thought. “Do you ever drink animal blood?”

“No. I tried, but unfortunately it’s incompatible with my system.”

They continued to walk along the path,
pine needles crunching underneath their boots. The sound brought forth in Eva’s mind the reminiscence of autumn afternoons in her back yard, rolling like a playful foal in the pine straw and leaves her father had raked into a pile. Fourteen, fifteen years ago it must have been, and yet it seemed like only yesterday. Life was so fleeting. What would it be like, never to grow old? To live forever in a young, strong body with no fear of illness or injury...no possibility of death?

“Tell me what it was like.”
She looked expectantly at Julian, then diverted her eyes quickly. It was almost painful to look at him. He was like music, a heart-wrenching melody that brought a lump to the throat. Something too beautiful to exist.

“What
what
was like?”

“Dying.”

“Oh...it wasn’t as terrible as you might imagine.”

“How do you know for sure you really died? Maybe you were just unconscious for a while.”

“He put a blade through my heart, Eva. I felt the last beat before I died.”

She shuddered.
“What did it feel like when you woke up? Did it hurt?”

“Not at all.
Actually, I felt rejuvenated. My clothes were soaked with blood but the wound had already healed. I recall being highly incensed that someone was throwing dirt on me.”

“Your killer?”

“The fool was trying to bury the evidence.” He chuckled. “I must say, the expression on his face when I came out of that grave was priceless. The abject terror that remained on his face even after I snapped his neck was
most
gratifying.”

“You didn’t drink his blood?”

“No. I wasn’t aware of my condition until later, you see.”

“So what happened to him?”

“I put him in the grave that was meant for me. I thought it fitting. As far as I know he rots there still, along with his damned knife.” His voice was cold, detached.

“How ironic. To be buried in the
very grave he dug for someone else,” she mused. “Where did all this happen? London?”

“
Scotland. I was visiting Lainie while trying to decide what I wanted to do regarding university. One very early morning I was out for a run on a road that passed an old cemetery, when I encountered a Welshman sitting on one of the headstones smoking a cigarette. He called out to me, saying he was lost and needed directions. I was trying to assist him when he assaulted me. I found my watch and cash on him later, so I have to assume it was money he was after. It was a convenient location to hide a corpse, I have to admit. He dragged my body into the woods that bordered the cemetery and found a spade that had been left in the abandoned utility shed. I’ve no doubt he would have gotten away with his crime had I not taken him by surprise.”

“You must have been taken by surprise yourself, waking up
to your own burial.” The thought of it gave her the willies.

His brow furrowed. “One would think so. But
, no. I cannot describe to you the deep serenity that I felt. No negative emotions whatsoever, no pain or even minute discomfort, just an apathetic resolution for what needed to be done. I felt no rage when I killed the man, just a sense of pleasure and satisfaction that the situation had been properly dealt with.”

His words were disconcerting. If he was devoid of compassion
, then what chance did she have? How do you reach someone whose doors have been permanently sealed? “And your other victims? Do you have no sympathy for them?”

He appraised her quizzically. “Is there some logical reason I should?”

“Are you telling me you feel nothing at all when you take someone’s life?” This conversation was not going well. The more she heard, the less she wanted to hear.

“As I said, those emotions are gone. They were unnecessary and in fact would have been a hindrance to my survival. It is
more pragmatic
not
to possess them. I would think that would be apparent to you.”

Eva mulled this over. To exist without pain or conflicting emotions might have its advantages, but the price was so dear. “You can’t feel love,” she concluded.

“I cannot. Nor would I wish to. How could it possibly benefit me?”

“How could it
benefit
you?” What a question! “Surely you’ve been in love before!”

“I suppose so. I have difficulty remembering what it was like to feel affection for another person.”

“How long has it been?”

“I lost my mortal life
thirty years ago.”

Startled,
Eva paused to let this sink in. “Thirty years? You’ve been this way for
three decades?
” God, the countless corpses he must have left along the way! She refused to calculate the numbers in her head. It was far too gruesome to consider.

“Does that surprise you?” He smiled. “Time has little meaning for me. I find it
absurd the way people are always in such a rush. It’s a peculiar trait, don’t you think? Dashing off to work, then dashing home again. In such a bloody hurry to reach a future that will only turn against them.”

He certainly had a unique perspective.
It also brought to mind something else that had been puzzling her. “That’s another thing I’ve been wondering. What do you do for a living? You haven’t left the house since we got here. I remember back home you used to own a bookstore.”

“The bookstore was a diversion, since small town
residents can be intrusive. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I moved there in the first place. What with nosy little girls wandering in and out of my house.” He winked mischievously.

Would that she
had never darkened his doorstep! If there was anything to be regretted, it was that. “Well, if you don’t have a job, then how do you get by?”

“I had a small trust fund set aside by my parents. And I was the sole beneficiary to Grandfather’s fortune as well. He passed away
twenty-six years ago.”

“Twenty-six years. Then he was still alive when you
...”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him what happened to you?”

“
Certainly not. I didn’t want to run the risk of being disinherited. I never returned to university, though I did go to work at his solicitors firm as a research assistant. He was satisfied with that, though he did insist I eventually complete my studies.”

“Did you?”

“No. It seemed pointless. Fortunately he had a massive stroke four years later.”

“You could have killed
him
, but you didn’t,” Eva pointed out. “So you must have had
some
feelings for him.”

“I stood to inherit
everything he owned. Who do you suppose would have been the prime suspect should he die unexpectedly? I had only to wait him out. Having all the time in the world, there was no hurry. The man was in poor health as it was. He was too sodding stubborn to retire, which eventually worked to my advantage.”

The callous, matter-of-fact way he spoke of his grandfather’s death was chilling. If he had so little regard for his own family, what hope was there for her
, a virtual stranger?

“I suppose a love of money is still a form of love,” she remarked dryly.

“Money is a simply a necessity, Eva. One that improves the quality of life. I’ve invested wisely and can live quite comfortably on the interest alone. So you see, my pet, as long as you’re here you need never want for anything.”

“There is
one
thing.”

“And what is that?” His tone
abruptly turned frosty. “I know you will not dare ask to leave. That is not for you to decide.”

She swallowed, wondering if it was wise to risk incurring his wrath. “I’d like to talk to my mother. Or
...at least send word to her that I’m all right. She has to be worried.”

“I see.” H
is stony features relaxed. “That might be possible. If you behave yourself and do as you’re told, I will consider it. For now, I don’t wish to hear any more on the subject.”

She sighed. It was better than an outright refusal, and more than she’d expected. At least there was hope
, a glimmer as subtle as a candle’s flame.