Night's Touch (21 page)

Anton was about to leave the house late Wednesday night when his mother came home.

"Anton! Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd go hang out at The Nocturne for a while. Where've you been? You're never here anymore."

"I've been at your father's laboratory."

"The lab? What were you doing there?"

Taking his arm, Serafina led him back into the house and into the living room. Sitting on the sofa, she pulled him down beside her.

"I've been practicing a spell I found in an old book."

"What kind of spell?"

Serafina plucked at the hem of her skirt, suddenly reluctant to tell her son what she had been doing.

"Mother? What kind of spell?"

"Bringing dead animals back to life."

Anton frowned. "Why would you want to do that?"

Turning toward Anton, she took his hands in hers. "I bought some old books on witchcraft from someone on eBay." Her voice trembled with excitement. "There's a spell in one of them, a spell for bringing the dead back to life."

Anton's frown deepened. "Dead animals?"

"Dead people. Your father, Anton, I've found a way to bring him back."

Anton stared at his mother. She was out of her mind, he thought. She had grieved for his father so hard and for so long, it had driven her over the edge.

"Even if such a spell worked," he said quietly, "I doubt if it would work on someone who's been dead as long as my father."

"There was no time limit," she said. "It will work, I know it will."

"What's the spell?"

Serafina had read it so often, she could recite it from memory. "On All Hallow's Eve, between dusk and dawn, the blood of kin must be drawn, nine drops, no more, no less, the blood of kin you must bless. To this the blood of love you add, and the blood of an enemy, it must be had. Seven drops of each, one by one, quickly now, it must be done. Four drops of a maiden's blood, rosemary for remembrance, an infant's blood, three drops for life anew. A sprinkling of yarrow, a dash of rue. Spread the blood upon the crypt, when the moon commands the sky. Call forth the dead, his name times three. Doubt not, and he will come to thee."

Anton swore under his breath. She really was crazy. The blood of kin. No doubt she intended to use his own blood, Anton thought. The blood of an enemy. Probably that of the vampire, DeLongpre. And the blood of a maiden? Cara's.

"Was this the revenge you had planned all along?" he asked.

"No, but this is better. Don't you see? I'll bring your father back and he can exact his own vengeance." She clasped her hands to her breasts, her expression one of pure bliss. "And we'll be a family. Think of it, Anton, the three of together at last."

"There's no way to know if it will work," Anton said. "No way to practice it before we try it on my father."

"It will work," she said again, and there was no doubt in her voice. "I know it will."

Anton stared at his mother. She sounded so certain. "You didn't…?" He shook his head. Surely she hadn't tried that silly incantation on anything besides animals; and if she had, he didn't want to know.

She's crazy
, he thought again. Yet even as he worried that his mother was losing her mind, he found himself wondering if the incantation would, indeed, work.

It was after midnight when Vince drove Cara back to the library to get her car.

"I wish I didn't have to go home," she said as he handed her out of the Mustang.

"Me, too." He drew her into his arms for one more kiss.

Cara waited for Vince to ask her to move in with him, thought about asking him to move in with her, and decided neither option was a good idea, at least not now. Things were already moving too fast.

"I should go," she said reluctantly.

"In a minute." He backed her up against the side of the car and kissed her again, his body leaning into hers. They had made love only a short time ago and he was already wanting her again. He'd become addicted to her, he thought, hopelessly, helplessly addicted to the sound of her voice, the warmth of her smile, the touch of her hand. Damn! He had it bad.

Vince kissed her again, and then again. He would have kissed her one more time if he hadn't suddenly become aware of being watched. Lifting his head, he scanned the darkness, then swore softly. It was only Di Giorgio, discreetly watching them from the shadows.

"You'd better go," Vince said.

"I thought… what happened?"

"Di Giorgio's keeping an eye on us. Kind of ruins the moment, don't you think?"

Cara blew out a sigh. "I thought he'd stop following me when I moved out of the house."

"Well, I'm kind of glad he's there," Vince said, opening her car door for her. "Gives me one less thing to worry about."

"Do you worry about me?" she asked.

"You bet." Bending down, he kissed her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait."

"Me, either."

"Good night, Vince."

"Night, darlin'."

He watched her pull out of the parking lot, watched Di Giorgio pull out behind her. Out of habit, he glanced at the sky, judging the time. There were still hours until dawn.

He was about to get into his car and drive home when he decided to take a walk instead.

The streets were dark and quiet at this time of night. Walking with preternatural speed, he soon reached the outskirts of the city. He continued on, enjoying the solitude and the beauty of the moonlit countryside.

He was about to turn back when the scent of blood filled his nostrils. Unable to resist, he followed the scent to what looked like an abandoned brick building. The windows were boarded up on the inside and barred on the outside.

Vince frowned. The scent of blood was strong here and seemed to be coming from inside. He took a deep breath, only then realizing that the blood was animal, not human.

Grunting softly, he walked around the perimeter. Save for the smell of blood, there was no sign that anyone had been there recently, not that it mattered to him one way or the other. Still, it was curious.

Returning to the library parking lot, he got into his car and drove to The Nocturne. He felt Mara's presence as soon as he crossed the threshold. Amazingly, no one else seemed aware of the preternatural power that surrounded her.

Her voice whispered inside his mind.
Come
, she said,
join me
.

It was not a command this time, but an invitation.

He found her sitting at a small table in the rear, a Bloody Mariah in one hand. A second drink sat, untouched, on the table.

She smiled as he approached, then indicated he should take the chair across from her. "That drink is for you."

Vince arched one brow. "How did you know I'd be here?"

She smiled a mysterious smile. "Did you think coming here was your own idea?" Her voice was low, almost hypnotic.

"You mean it wasn't?"

"No. I was feeling lonely."

"So you planted the thought of coming here in my mind?"

She nodded, not the least bit guilty for tampering with his thoughts. "The nights can sometimes be long."

"Too long," he agreed. "And it must be worse for you. Tell me, what's it like to exist for so many years? Do you ever tire of it? Ever grow bored with your existence?"

"Now and then."

"How do you handle it?"

"There are ways to refresh yourself. The best way is to rest in the earth."

"You mean, like burrow into the ground and sleep there?"

"Yes."

"What about the bugs and the worms? Don't they…"

"They will not come near you."

The idea of burying himself in the earth should have been repulsive; instead, he found it strangely appealing. He glanced at the glass in his hand. He should have found drinking blood repulsive, too, but he didn't. Funny, how one's perspective changed when one became a vampire.

Vince was about to remark on it to Mara when he saw Anton saunter into the club as if he owned the place. Vince grinned inwardly. Talk about repulsive. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about the man that made his skin crawl.

"Evil," Mara said quietly.

"What?"

"That man is evil."

Vince followed Mara's gaze and saw that she was staring at Anton Bouchard.

Anton nodded at several women as he made his way to the bar. He hadn't seen Cara DeLongpre lately, but courting her was no longer necessary. His mother had other plans for DeLongpre's daughter now.

He was halfway across the room when he saw Vince Cordova sitting at a small table with a remarkably beautiful woman.

Anton snorted softly. Looked like Miss Cara Aideen DeLongpre had better find herself a new squeeze. Anton smiled at the pretty redhead waiting for him at the bar. He hadn't wasted any time in Finding someone to take Cara's place. Her name was Stephanie and he had met her at The Nocturne last week. She was a looker, she was, with curly red hair, dusky skin, and dark brown eyes.

She smiled as he sat down beside her. Unlike Cara, Steph wasn't interested in anything but having a good time. They'd had a hell of a good time last night, he thought as he kissed her cheek, and unless he missed his guess, they would be having another good time tonight.