Page 30 of Kiss of Light

“Take the bed. I’ll take the chair.”

They both looked at the small stool.

“This is ridiculous,” said Lemar. “We can share the bed.”

Lie next to a gorgeous naked vampire?Tala considered it for one nanosecond.

“I’m not sure that would be appropriate,” she murmured.

“It’s a big bed, Tala. And I, at least, will be dead to the world.” He smiled faintly. “I assure you you’ll be safe. Now go find somewhere to eat. I’ll be asleep by the time you get back.”

Tala drove to the nearest diner. She’d take the stool anyway, she thought. She’d already slept a few hours in the car. She’d be fine.

The cook rustled her up a cheeseburger, not commenting on why she wasn’t ordering breakfast instead. Her whole world was topsy-turvy right now. Sleeping during the day. Travelling at night. Guess she was on vampire time.

The burger was surprisingly good, the patty perfectly cooked and the fries crisp and salty. Thank the gods her demon system was immune to the shit she poured into it. Her love of junk food and whisky would have long taken its toll.

When she got back to the bedroom, she found the curtains tightly drawn against the sun. Some daylight was creeping under the door so she rolled one of the threadbare towels into a sausage and pushed it against the crack. She didn’t want Lemar exposed to any UV.

She sat on the stool and leaned back against the wall. It was as uncomfortable as fuck. Dammit.

She eyed the bed. Lemar was as still as he’d been the day before. She knew he wouldn’t move unless a bomb went off. Hell, she’d shoved him in a body bag and carried him to the car and he hadn’t made a sound.

Quietly she stood up and pulled her jeans and boots off. She grimaced as she felt the carpet beneath her feet. Sticky and gritty. Did no-one vacuum in here?

She plugged her phone in to charge, setting the alarm for a couple of hours before sunset. Then she tiptoed to the bed and slid onto it, trying to cause as little disturbance as possible.

There. That was fine. He was under the sheet, she was lying on top of it. And as soon as her alarm went off, she’d haul ass back to the stool. He’d never even know she’d been there.

She turned onto her side to watch him as he slept. His eyelids were quivering and as she drifted off, she wondered what vampires dreamt about.

More blood. So much of it, exciting his senses. He felt her trembling in his arms, saw the salt tears falling from her eyes But he was gorging on her, drowning in her, and he couldn’t let her go.

His head was filled with a roaring red thunder and his mind was not his own. It belonged to someone else. A predator in a feeding frenzy.

And as he tore and ripped, he was aware of something else. A scent. A smell that didn’t come from the girl in his grip. Something ashy. Burned. It hovered around him as he sank his teeth into her neck again and again.

Somewhere inside, he knew he had to stop. Part of him wasscreamingto stop. But he didn’t. Not until it was far, far too late.

He half woke, the dream blurring. But the scent… it was still there. And it was coming from the blonde strands of hair that were somehow splayed across his chest. He turned to see the demon asleep, her back towards him and her hands tucked under her cheek like a child.

His eyes blackened with rage. How had he not realised before? He had thought her scent was familiar, and now he remembered. He had smelled it the first and last time he’d taken a human life.

He rolled so he was tight against her body, yanking her head back against his shoulder with one hand and reaching round her to secure her wrists with the other. She was awake instantly and he trapped her legs with one of his own, holding her immobile.

“You,” he hissed in her ear. “You were there. When it happened. Don’t try to deny it. I smelled you.”

“Lemar, you’ve been dreaming.” Tala strained her hands against his but his rage had made him even stronger.

“Why are you lying? Why are you tormenting me?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Whatever you smelled, it wasn’t me.”

“Were you possessing me? Did you make me do it?”

“I told you, I can’t possess Vetali.”

“You’re lying!” His voice dropped to a snarl and Tala felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

---