Page 33 of Shadows of Eternity

“Oh, right,” Leia said, although she didn’t mean it.

And from the doubt in Janae’s eyes, her best friend didn’t believe she meant it, either.

Rohan took a last bow and left the stage. They’d had a packed house for opening night, and he’d heard from one of the other dancers that every performance was sold out.

He went to his dressing room to change and then, not wanting to go out the stage door, he dissolved into mist and left the building. He materialized a few blocks away.

It had been decades since he’d been to Bisbee. Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, it had become a popular destination for tourists, thanks to its art galleries, vintage shops, and great places to drink and dine. Artifacts from Bisbee’s mining history could be seen in museums, including the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. The city also offered Old Bisbee Ghost Tours. Thousands of dollars in gold, copper, and silver had been mined here in the old days.

The old days … when the Lakota and the Cheyenne had roamed wild and free and no one had ever heard of thewasichu,or George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry, or imagined a time when the buffalo would be gone and the People would be confined to reservations, their freedom lost, their way of life changed forever.

Dammit!Why was he thinking of the past? He swore again. Perhaps to keep from thinking about the present, and Leia.

Leia. He hadn’t known her very long. How could he miss her so damn much?

As happened from time to time, he found himself thinking about the vampire who had turned him so many years ago. As he stalked the dark streets, he felt the old anger rise within him. How many others had his sire turned? How many other lives had he stolen?

Rohan swore softly. He didn’t think about his sire very often these days, but being with Leia reminded him of all he’d lost—his humanity, the chance to marry and raise a family, perhaps father a son.

There were other things he had naturally missed in the beginning. He’d had to leave the village because, as a fledging, he’d had to sleep from sunrise to sunset. There was no wayto explain that to his family or his friends. People were bound to wonder why he didn’t eat, why he no longer participated in buffalo hunts, why he avoided the sunlight. Damn the man! If he ever got his hands on his sire …

Rohan blew out a heavy sigh. If he hadn’t found his sire in the last three hundred years, it was unlikely he’d ever find him now.

“About time you got home, honey,” Trent said, smiling. “What did you have to see Leia about tonight that was so important? You just spent the whole day with her.”

Janae shrugged. “Oh, you know,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “The usual things.”

“No, I don’t.” He patted the seat beside him and when she joined him, he slid his arm around her shoulders. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”

“Not really,” Janae said, shrugging. “She met this guy and they broke up and, well, you know, she’s upset.”

“Uh-huh.” His gaze probed hers. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“Janae, I know when you’re hiding something.”

“I promised not to tell. Besides, you’d never believe it.” She scooted out from under his arm and stood. “I’m going up to check on the boys,” she said, and hurried out of the room. A promise was a promise, she thought, as she tucked Mark under the covers, but what if what Leia said was true? What if Rohan really was a vampire? Leia’s life could be in danger.

Janae shook her head. The whole idea was ludicrous, and even it was true, she thought, dropping a kiss on Mike’sforehead, there was nothing she could do about it. She was a suburban housewife, for goodness sakes, not a vampire hunter.

Chapter Fourteen

Leia moped through the apartment. It was summer, the weather was beautiful, and all she wanted to do was cry. Nothing held her interest—not reading, not rearranging the furniture, not going to the movies or working crossword puzzles or watching any of the mediocre shows on Netflix.

Somehow, one day turned into another and when she woke up Friday morning, she decided enough was enough. She was going to Bisbee to see Rohan dance again. She wasn’t going to talk to him or let him know she was there. She just wanted to know if seeing him again would have the same impact on her as it had the first time.

An hour later, she had booked a flight, reserved a room in the Copper Queen hotel, and after a few inquiries, found out where Rohan’s troupe was performing. She said a hurried prayer as she dialed the number of the box office, praying she’d be able to get a ticket. Luck was with her and she managed to get a ticket on the aisle in the last row.

She arrived at the hotel in Bisbee late in the afternoon and was immediately enchanted by the old world feel of the town. According to a Guide Book, Bisbee had been founded in the 1880s and had grown quickly, thanks to a thriving miningindustry. The town had been well-preserved and the early 20thcentury atmosphere drew visitors from around the country and around the world, appealing to bird watchers, hikers, wine connoisseurs, and those who enjoyed exploring museums and historic sites.

In her room, she showered and washed her hair. Wrapped in a fluffy hotel towel, she unpacked and laid out her clothes for the evening—a pair of black slacks and a silky, turquoise-blue blouse. After dressing, she spent twenty minutes fussing with her make-up and another fifteen on her hair, assuring herself it had nothing to do with Rohan.

After leaving the hotel, she wandered around for a while before finding a place for dinner. By the time she finished eating, it was time to head to the venue.

Leia felt her heart skip a beat when she reached the theater and saw a life-sized cutout of Shadow Dancer outside the box office. Just looking at his image took her breath away. During his absence, she had convinced herself that he couldn’t be as gorgeous and sexy, as desirable, as she remembered. But he was all that and more. In spades.

She picked up her ticket at the box office and hurried inside, her stomach churning with excitement and anxiety.

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