Page 41 of Twilight Longings

She woke with a start, her gaze sweeping the room, every fiber of her being aching for her mysterious lover to put out the flame he had kindled inside of her.

The air was blue with Saintcrow’s frustration as he paced the floor of his lair back in Morgan Creek. He’d been so close to possessing her. So close.Dammit!

What if her memories were lost forever? It was entirely possible. He frowned as he stripped down to his briefs and sat on the edge of the bed. The bed he had shared with Kadie. Was it possible for him to restore her memories? Likely he could only restore the ones the two of them had shared. Would that help her recall the rest?

There was always a risk involved when messing with human minds. Usually, nothing went awry. But he had heard stories from others of his kind, sad tales of men and women who had gone insane when their memories were erased or restored, and of others who had killed themselves. He knew from personal experience of a woman who had gone quite mad. He had been a young vampire at the time, just learning how to control the minds of others. He didn’t know what he had done wrong, if anything, but it had ended badly. He couldn’t risk that with Kadie. Better for her memories to return in their own good time.

Shit.

He would have to be patient, he thought. Not his best trait by far. Spend time with her. Maybe bring her home to Morgan Creek. No, he couldn’t do that. Not until they were sure the curse had been lifted from the town and the state, as well.

He glanced at the sky. It was nearly midnight. Still early for his kind.

Grabbing his cell phone, he sent a group text to the family.

I need to see all of you. Now. Meet me at Kincaid’s.

“I wonder what the hell is going on?” Jake muttered, as he tossed his phone on the bed.

Rosa shrugged. “I’m sure it has something to do with Kadie.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. Better get dressed. The others will be on their way.”

Saintcrow gave them twenty minutes to assemble before he knocked on Kincaid’s door.

Rosa opened it. “Are you bringing good news?” she asked, as she led the way into the living room.

“No.” His gaze swept over the family, resting for a moment on Micah and Ethan. “I want to bring Kadie home. But before I do, I need one of you to come with me and see if it’s safe. If none of you are willing, that’s all right with me. I’ll find a fledgling somewhere.”

“I’ll go,” Ethan said.

“No!” Sofia cried, a look of horror on her face. “I saw a picture of Kadie. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

Ethan wrapped her in his arms. “Listen, honey, there isn’t much of a risk. The Methuselah Stone saved Kadie. Hopefully,it will work on me, too, if necessary.” He looked at Saintcrow. “Do you still have it?”

“Izabela does.”

Ethan nodded. “All right, then.”

Sofia shook her head, silent tears tracking down her cheeks. “Ethan, please don’t go.”

“It isn’t right to expose someone else,” Ethan said. “It’s a family problem, and the family should take care of it.”

Knowing she was defeated, Sofia slumped against him.

“Can we do this tomorrow night?” Ethan asked.

Knowing Ethan wanted to have some time alone with Sofia before returning to Morgan Creek, Saintcrow nodded. “Tomorrow night on the bridge, say eleven o’clock?”

Ethan nodded.

“If nothing happens in twenty-four hours, we’ll assume the curse has been broken, at least in Morgan Creek.”

While they waited to find out if the curse struck Ethan or caused any other ill effects, Saintcrow would call the vampires who lived in Laramie and Cody and check on the condition of their fledglings again. He had checked on them several times since the curse struck. A number of their fledglings had died. A few still lingered in the same vegetative state Kadie had been in.

“How is Kadie?” Micah asked.

“The same. No sign of her memory returning. I put her up in a hotel in New Orleans.”

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