After Sundown: Redemption (35 page)

“Huh? Holy water? A cross? Shouldn’t we call the police?”

Aunt Joyce looked at Alyssa like she was crazy. She started to protest when the turning doorknob started rattling violently. The sound of a low growl reached her ears. Whoever was out there was getting impatient.

“Do it now!”

Her aunt let out a small squeak then ran into the bedroom. Alyssa kept her eyes on the door. A minute later, Aunt Joyce came back with both items. Alyssa took them from her. Reaching into her own blouse she pulled a necklace out. It was a gold chain with a cross on the end of it. She unclasped it and handed it to her aunt without letting her gaze leave the door.

“Take this. Go into my bedroom, lock the door and call the police. All the windows are locked, so you should be safe. Stay in there. No matter what you hear, don’t come out. And only open the door for me—no one else. If anyone other than me gets into the room before the police come, hold the cross in front of you and pray. That will be your only protection.”

When her aunt just stood there, Alyssa spared a glance her way. Aunt Joyce met her eyes stubbornly. She clenched her jaws tightly together and shook her head.

Alyssa would not allow anything to happen to her beloved aunt.

“You need to listen to me. We don’t have much time.”

As if to emphasize her words, her apartment door started to shake, making loud rattling, splintering noises. It wouldn’t hold much longer.

“No,” her aunt said crossing her hands stubbornly over her chest. “I don’t know what’s going on or who’s out there, but I won’t leave you alone, Aly. I’ll call the police, but I’m staying with you to face whoever you’re facing.”

Frustration filled Alyssa. She wanted to yell at her aunt. Tell her that she didn’t understand. It wasn’t
whom
she was facing. It was
what
. Whatever was on the other side of the door wasn’t human.

Chapter Seventeen

The rattling stopped. Alyssa swung her gaze to the door. It was no longer shaking. She glanced at her aunt. Her eyes were wide with fear and she seemed to be having trouble breathing. She grasped her Aunt Joyce’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Hang on. It’s going to be okay.”

Her aunt nodded, but said nothing.

Alyssa stared at the door. Holding her breath, she waited to see what would happen next.

It wasn’t what she expected.

She jumped as a loud screeching filled the air. The noise was soon followed by a moan and then a whimper. A hissing sound and the scent of burnt flesh soon followed. Nausea hit Alyssa strong and hard. She released her aunt’s hand and covered her mouth, attempting to stop the smell. It did no good. It seemed to permeate everything. She turned to her aunt, about to tell her to go into the bedroom again, when the elderly woman crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Alyssa wasn’t sure how long she stood frozen in place, her hand covering her mouth. Her eyes glued to the door. Waiting. Not knowing what would come next. Her heart beat out of control and her breath came in short pants.

“Alyssa. Open the door. It’s Vlad Maksimovitch. I’ve taken care of your unwanted visitor. You’re safe now. Christian couldn’t make it tonight, so I’ll be taking you to your speaking engagement.”

Alyssa started. Then her shoulders sagged with relief as she recognized the comforting sound of the After Sundown owner’s voice. She walked towards the door intent on opening it, but stopped short before doing so. What if it wasn’t really him? She had read that vampires could shape shift. What if this creature had changed into the form of Vlad? Was it possible?

“How do I know it’s really you?”

“Look through your peephole. Who do you see?”

Alyssa did as he suggested and saw Vlad standing on the other side of the door. The urge to open the door was strong. But the instinct to survive was stronger.

“How do I know it’s really you?”

There was silence on the other side of the door for a moment. Then Vlad cleared his throat and spoke.

“Remember the first time we met?”

“Yes.”

“I offered you tea. You chose chamomile. You said it helped you relax.”

Alyssa let out the breath she was holding. Only Vlad could tell her that. It had been only the two of them in the room when that happened.

Alyssa undid the bolt and opened the door. She covered her nose in preparation of that terrible flesh burning smell hitting her full force. Yet there was nothing. The horrifying scent had all but disappeared. She looked around her and saw no evidence of, well, of anything strange, just Vlad standing in the doorway, looking very normal.

“How did you do that?” Alyssa’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“It’s part of my job. Clean up and remove evidence.”

“What about the other people living here? They had to hear that terrifying scream and smell that burning smell.”

“As I’m sure you’ve come to realize, we have the ability to project thoughts. It’s a very powerful tool. I just changed your neighbors’ perspectives a bit. They think they heard a cat screeching into the night. And the odor they picked up, just smelled like someone had burned their dinner.”

Alyssa nodded silently as she listened to his explanation. No wonder very few people knew about these preternatural creatures’ existence. They were too good at covering up their actions.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in, Alyssa?”

Alyssa met Vlad’s polite smile with startled eyes.

“What?”

“I can’t come into your home without permission. That is one hard and fast rule of the vampire. We cannot enter someone’s private abode without an invitation. Once humans make a place their own in one fashion or other, it becomes theirs. The power of that is something not even a vampire can undo. That’s why your earlier visitor could not open your door. He could shake it and twist the knob, but he couldn’t open it without you inviting him in first.”

Alyssa digested that bit of information and logged it with the other tidbits she was learning about vampires. It was amazing how so many of the movies she had seen and books she had read portrayed this information correctly. Alyssa looked down at the cross and holy water in her hand.

“Does this work?” She held the items up in front of her. Vlad took a cautious step backwards.

Most definitely. Now please put those items down and invite me in so that we can talk.

The sound of Vlad’s voice was inside her head suddenly. It seemed to sweep through her. And before she knew it she had put the cross and holy water down and invited him in.

“Please come in, Vlad.”

“Thank you.”

Vlad walked in and shut the door behind him. Alyssa took one step backwards, then another. What had just happened? One minute she was just standing there and the next she did something without thought or awareness.

Vlad must have seen the confusion on her face.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Edwards. I had to use compulsion on you. We don’t have much time. We need to talk about this evening,” Vlad explained. “Christian had to handle a situation that needed his immediate attention. Otherwise he would have been here tonight. I’ll take you to your speech. You’ll be safe with me.”

Alyssa only half heard Vlad’s explanation. He had controlled her with his mind! She was about to tell Vlad what he could do with his compulsion, when she heard a soft moan coming from behind her. Her eyes widened in alarm and she swung around.

“Aunt Joyce!”

Alyssa strode quickly to her aunt’s side. She was starting to wake up.

Vlad was beside her instantly.

“Your aunt has been through much tonight.”

Alyssa bent over and knelt by her aunt. Vlad did the same.

“She stood by my side. She didn’t know what was happening, but she refused to leave me.”

“She is a very strong, loyal and brave woman. I can see where you get it from.”

“She means so much to me. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her. I need to call an ambulance.”

Alyssa started to reach for the phone. Vlad grasped her arm. She stopped at the contact. She looked down at where he touched her, then back up at him. Vlad nodded in understanding and released his hold on her.

“I sense no physical injury to your aunt. She was just so shocked by what happened that she fainted. Unlike you, she has had no experience with creatures of the night. It was too much for her. However, she’ll be fine.”

Alyssa gently brushed her fingers across her aunt’s cheek.

“How do you know that? Don’t tell me, another vampire power.”

“Yes. Vampires are very sensitive to the physical state of humans. We can hear the blood rushing through your veins if we want. We can sense injury or trauma to the body. Detecting physical weakness is an ability all predators have become adept at. It helps us hunt. But it also can help us in a situation like this.”

“I see,” Alyssa said quietly as she added one more bit of information to the vampire record in her mind. She shuddered when Vlad mentioned “the hunt” part, but she was glad for that ability in her aunt’s case.

“I can ease her mind, if you let me. But you must decide quickly, Alyssa. We have a lot ahead of us tonight.”

“Ease her mind? What do you mean?”

“As I said, she’s had to deal with a lot. Bazhena sent the creature outside your door. He was completely evil. This creature could have filled her head with all sorts of images that she is better off not remembering. I can replace those memories with more mundane, acceptable ones.”

Alyssa considered his words. She didn’t want her aunt haunted by this event either. Despite her spunk, her aunt was getting up there in age and she was worried about her.

“What kind of memories?”

“What were you two doing before he came to your door?”

“My aunt was sitting on the couch watching TV. I had just come into the room when the creature knocked on the door. Once I heard that, a distinct feeling of unease and discord overcame me.”

“Usually these creatures are very good at covering themselves up from human perception. How is it that you felt his evil?” Vlad’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I can just pick up other peoples’ feelings, especially if it’s a large group feeling the same thing, or a particularly strong thought by an individual.”

“You’re an empathic?” Vlad’s eyes widened with surprise.

“That’s what Christian called me. I guess I am. But another reason I was suspicious was that I picked up on Christian’s thoughts.”

“His thoughts?”

“Yes. I think he projected a warning to me. I kept hearing his voice saying ‘beware’ in my mind.”

“I see,” Vlad said thoughtfully. “Yet you didn’t pick up on the evil compulsion of the creature trying to get to you. Because of your empathy, you seem to have the ability to filter out and sort through information that is being projected telepathically to you. Your mind must have sensed the danger and blocked out his thoughts. You must have a strong will. Most humans don’t have that ability. Your aunt doesn’t. Let’s take care of her and then we can discuss this further. May I ease her mind?”

Alyssa hesitated. She hated the thought of someone using any kind of mind control on her aunt, but on the other hand, she wanted her to be okay. When Tom had called her earlier in the day to tell her about the damage to the wall and about falling asleep at the office, he sounded fine. He had no memory of what had happened last night with Bazhena. She was relieved by that, glad he didn’t have to live with such a horrifying memory. Her aunt deserved the same.

“Yes. Do it.”

Alyssa stood up and turned away from the picture of Vlad leaning over her aunt. She paced the floor for a few minutes.

“It’s done. She will have no memory of what truly happened here tonight.”

“What will she remember?”

“I erased the old memory and implanted the memory of her watching TV and falling asleep. You will leave her a note that I came to pick you up, but that you didn’t want to wake her. I’ve compelled her to sleep until morning. We’ll lay her on the couch and turn the television on. When she wakes up that will be her memory.”