Page 9 of Twilight Longings

Saintcrow nodded, wondering what the witch did with all that blood. Maybe one of these days he’d find the nerve to ask her. And maybe not.

At home, Saintcrow materialized in their bedroom lair. Kadie was as he had left her—pale, unmoving, and he wondered yet again how long she could go on like that, and how much longer he could abide seeing her that way. He recoiled as a sinister thought edged its way into his mind. She had beenthis way for over four months. What if it went on for years? Would she want to continue to exist this way, trapped in a netherworld with no way out? Was she aware of anything at all? Or had her world become dark and empty and silent? If it went on for years, would she want him to put an end to her existence and free her soul? And how was he to know?

Dammit!Where had that thought come from?

Suddenly afraid he was going to lose her forever, he sat on the edge of the bed. Drawing her gently into his arms, he rocked her back and forth.Kadie. Kadie, please come back to me, sweetheart. Life isn’t worth living without you.

Trapped in the netherworld that refused to release its hold on her, Kadie tried to reply, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak or direct her thoughts to Saintcrow. Helpless to respond to his voice in her mind, she could only pray that Rylan wouldn’t lose hope and let her go.

Chapter Seven

Still housed inside the body of the little girl with the long, red pigtails, Luca hovered on the verge of insanity as she insisted on playing one more game of hide-and-seek with her mother. But at least he now remembered who he was—or had been—most of the time. And he recalled how he had come to be in this sorry state. And who was responsible. He spent hours planning his revenge against Rylan Saintcrow and Jason Kincaid.

He had learned from watching and listening that the little girl’s family lived in a small town in Wyoming, though how his first host had gotten from Colombia to Wyoming remained a mystery. But then, he remembered little of what had happened immediately after his spirit had been freed from the soul-catcher.

On more than one occasion, he had been tempted to leave the girl’s body and transfer to the mother’s, but the woman was even more boring than the child. All she did, day in and day out, was cook and clean and look after the child. And knit. Sometimes he thought the click-click-click of the needles would drive him crazy.

The father was another option. He left the house every morning, seemed physically strong and healthy. The problem was, he was also strong-willed and stubborn. He would not be easy to manipulate. The girl, however, was the perfectdisguise. Perhaps he would wait a little while longer. There was no hurry. No one knew he was here. Then, too, perhaps he should wait until his powers had fully returned. Yes, that seemed like the wisest course of action for now.

He could transfer to the man anytime he wished. The perfect host would be Saintcrow or Kincaid. Vampires were practically indestructible. If he could transfer his essence into one of them, he could cause as much mayhem as he wished and no one would be able to stop him. On the other hand, staying in control of a powerful vampire would demand his full attention twenty-four hours a day. He would never be able to rest. Never be able to relax his guard.

Patience, he thought. He must exercise patience. His powers were still weak. Better to err on the side of caution and remain where he was until his full strength returned.

But, damn, he hated waiting!

Chapter Eight

Saintcrow brushed a kiss across Kadie’s cold lips before he left their lair to wander through the town. All the shops, the restaurants, the hotel, the library, and the campground remained closed. The whole place looked as forlorn as he felt. More than four months had passed and there had been no change in Kadie’s condition. He gave her a little of his blood from time-to-time, but he didn’t know how much longer she could go on without feeding. Vampires needed human blood to survive. His blood would not sustain her forever.

Kadie had been his center. Her love had calmed the beast that had once raged within him, made him see people as more than just prey. She had made him laugh, taught him the difference between love and lust, given him a reason to go on. He feared her influence on him might wane if this accursed plague lasted much longer.

Hands shoved deep into his pants’ pockets, he walked to the park and sat down on one of the wrought-iron benches. He remembered the first day Kadie had arrived in Morgan Creek. He had been resting deep in the earth at the time, but the scent of her life’s blood had roused him, bringing him to full awareness. A single whiff, and he had known he would not rest until she was his. She had been terrified of him when first they met. He had intended to take her, willing or not, andmake her his, but there had been something about her that made him hesitate and he’d realized he didn’t want to take her by force. Gradually, as her fears faded, she had fallen in love with him, as he had with her.

Saintcrow slammed his hand on the bench, putting a dent in the iron.Dammit! There had to be something he could do.

His head jerked up as a scent he had not encountered for centuries wafted toward him. He muttered an oath as the vampire who had turned him materialized on the bench beside him. “You! What the hell areyoudoing here?”

“Having a temper tantrum, are we?” she asked. “I would have thought you’d have outgrown that by now.”

Saintcrow glared at her, his hands itching to break her neck, but what was the point? It wouldn’t kill her.

Eleni lifted a hand to her throat. “Is that any way to greet the one who made you? Really, Saintcrow, such nasty thoughts.”

“What the devil is your name, anyway?” he growled. “You didn’t stick around long enough to tell me.”

“Eleni,” she murmured. “Do you like it?”

Saintcrow snorted. “Why are you here?” And how the hell had she bypassed the wards on the bridge?

“You were thinking about me a while back, wondering if I was dead or alive. I came to put your fears to rest.”

“As if I cared one way or the other.” He was about to transport himself back home when he paused. “Have you heard of the plague that’s rendering young vampires in this state helpless and immobile?”

“Of course.”

“My woman has been stricken with it.”

“Ah. And you were wondering if I could help.”

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