Page 86 of Shadows of Eternity

Just then, Cynthia pushed the screen door open, hitting her husband’s shoulder.

Inadvertently, Winchester squeezed the trigger.

Rohan reeled back as the slug slammed into his chest, just above his heart.

Trent swore.

Cynthia screamed.

Winchester’s face went white as he realized what he’d done, and whiter still when Rohan remained standing, apparently unhurt. “What the hell? Cynthia, get in the house!”

Looking like she was about to faint, she ducked inside and slammed the front door.

Rohan looked down at the dark, red stain spreading across his shirtfront and then, in a move too fast for either manto follow, he sprinted forward and snatched the pistol from Winchester’s hand.

Winchester stared at him. “What the … who the hell are you?”

Rohan shook his head. Leia’s father was either the bravest man he’d ever met, or a complete idiot. “You should have used silver bullets,” he drawled as he bent the barrel of the gun in half and dropped the weapon at Winchester’s feet.

Winchester blinked at him. “Who do you think I am, the Lone Ranger?” His eyes narrowed. “Vampire.” He hissed the word. “I should have known. When I was a rookie cop back in the day, L.A. was plagued by a serial killer. The press nicknamed himThe Vampire Killerbecause he drained his victims of blood … ” He took a deep breath. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t be any more of a fool that you already are,” Rohan muttered. “It was Josiah.”

“Who the hell is that?” Winchester asked.

“He’s an old, old vampire who happens to be my sire.”

Winchester frowned. “What in tarnation does that mean?”

“I’ll give you a lesson in vampire lore some other day,” Rohan said curtly. “We’re wasting time here.” Pulling off his shirt, he used it to wipe the blood from his chest before dropping it beside the pistol.

After a moment, he walked around to the side of the house. Winchester and Trent trailed behind him.

Lifting his head, Rohan scented the air. Leia had been here not long ago. And so had his sire. It was obvious that Josiah had taken Leia and transported the two of them out of the area, leaving no trace and no trail to follow. Dammit! If he couldn’t connect with her, if he couldn’t follow the blood link that bound them together, he might never see her again.

Damn and double damn, he had to find her before it was eternally too late. The thought of never seeing her again wasunthinkable. He forced down the rage pulsing inside him. He needed to stay calm, to think clearly. He needed to find her, because without her, life wouldn’t be worth living.

“What now?” Winchester asked, his voice rock-steady.

The old man must have been one hell of a cop, Rohan mused. He winced as his injury began to heal, leaving no trace behind.

He heard Trent mutter, “I guess the stories about vampires healing rapidly are true.”

“So it seems,” Rohan said. “Winchester, go look after your wife.”

“My wife’s fine! What the devil are you going to do about finding my daughter, you damn, dirty bloodsucker?”

“Everything I can. Now go inside before I break your fool neck.”

Brian Winchester glared at him, but wisely turned around and made his way back toward the front of the house.

Rohan shook his head as he heard Winchester bolt the front door. As if a lock could keep him out, he thought, as he glanced at Frumusanu. “You wanna take a shot at me, too?”

“Not right now,” Trent replied with a wry grin.

“Smart man,” Rohan muttered.

“How are you going to find Leia?”

---