The Wishing Stone (6 page)

Chapter Eight

The plane landed at the Los Angeles International Airport in the early evening hours, giving its passengers the glorious view of the sparkling lights of the sprawling city below. Just the thought of taking a taxi from the airport made Lara cringe at the expense, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, she planned on hitting the streets bright and early Monday morning to begin looking for a job.

As the plane taxied up to the terminal, her thoughts strayed to Lucien and what he would think of the note she had slipped under the locked doors of his suite. The words had cost her more than her pride. They had cost her the very heart that kept her alive.

After catching a cab, Lara was finally home. Her little apartment was just the same as she had left it, with its shabby furniture and the various knick-knacks that made it her home. With a long sigh of resignation, she carried her suitcase into the bedroom and began to unpack. She had thrown her clothes into the luggage haphazardly as she hurried to avoid hearing the painful news that Lucien no longer wanted a marred divorced woman.

That was the latest of the long list of reasons she had imagined he would give her.

She gently lifted out the dress she had worn that one special night with him. Burying her face in the delicate fabric, she could still detect the manly scent of Lucien. Tears trickled from her tightly closed lids as she relived that wonderful night in his arms.

Her wet spiky lashes lifted as a rumpled piece of paper fluttered to land on top of the clothes spread out on her bed. The words, “You are the love of my life and I would do anything for you” in her own handwriting fairly leapt off the page, damning her even more.

Recognizing it as the same note she had slipped under Lucien’s door that morning, Lara was baffled until his low, gentle voice captured her attention.

“Is this the way you leave me?” Lucien’s fingers slipped under her chin, tilting her face up toward him. “Why did you leave without seeing me or without at least talking to me? Leaving me only this piece of paper that tells me nothing? I thought you were enjoying yourself with me and being on the island.”

Only the truth would serve her now. “I was enjoying it; maybe even a little too much. I left because it appears that my ex-husband still wants to destroy my life and anyone’s who is attached to me.”

At his skeptical look, she hastened to say, “You even backed away from me after I told you about seeing Steven that night in the club.”

“Oh, my love, I didn’t pull away from you because of him. I pulled away because I wanted and needed to tell you certain things about myself that I am sure you will find hard to believe.”

Lara’s hand lifted to rest against his hard jaw. “You know I would believe anything you would tell me.” She held her breath when the thought of him possibly being married flickered again through her mind.

A short, skeptical laugh escaped him.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so trusting,” he said. “But that isn’t important at this moment. The answer to one of your fears is no, I am not married.” Pushing the clothing aside on the bed, Lucien pulled her down next to him so that they were facing each other.

“What I’m about to tell you may seem purely illogical, but it is the complete truth. I am not a normal man.” She kept her attention centered on him as he spoke. “I am what one would consider the worst possible type of being.”

Lara gave a sound of disagreement, but his fingertips on her lips stopped her from voicing it.

“Perhaps some of the books you may have read or a program or movie you watched on television...” He closed his eyes as if trying to remember something. “Bela Lugosi? Yes, that was his name. He portrayed the character of a night stalker.”

She snorted in disbelief, wondering when he would admit his joke.

“You don’t believe me,” he said. “Then I must tell you the entire story from the beginning and spare you—or me—nothing.”

With Lara’s slight smile as an encouragement, Lucien began his tale.

“First off, being a lad of barely twenty-one years; I will admit I was a bloody impudent ass, after having recently lost my parents and brother, I didn’t want to deal with the trappings of the
ton
. In the eighteenth century social standing was very important, so all of the title-searching mammas had their daughters posing everywhere I happened to be. At one particular ball I felt obligated to attend, there was a certain widow who decided that she wanted me. When I refused her, in front of gossiping old biddies, mind you, she took it badly.

“That same woman showed up in my study offering me her services. What healthy young male wouldn’t take them? The next thing I knew, I awoke to find her standing over me with a smug smile on her bloody lips. She proceeded to inform me that this abhorrent being would now be my new life, and that I would happily enjoy it with her. When I advanced on her to toss her from my home, she disappeared. Just disappeared.

“I ran to the mirror and saw bite marks along with blood on my neck. But I couldn’t have her charged with any crime. No one knew she had been there. There wasn’t any trace of her. Who would believe me? I knew I would sound like a raving lunatic and, basically, I did feel like I’d honestly gone crazy by then.

“All these years I have been searching for a cure to this travesty. That is why I go to Emergency rooms, looking for anyone who needs my help and also feed this craving that keeps me alive.”

As he spoke, Lara fingered her gold cross, hoping and praying that he was somehow mistaken, that none of what he was telling her was true.

“Prayers won’t work. Believe me, I have prayed every day of my unholy life, and as you can see, I am still here. Oh, and just for your information, the sight of a cross will not ward off vampires and the only way garlic works is if you eat a entire clove and then breathe on them. Now that I think of it, I believe that would work on anyone or anything.”

She couldn’t quite force herself to smile at his attempt at humor. “If what you are saying is true, then where are your fangs?”

Lucien opened his mouth, showing her his perfectly formed white teeth, except the eye teeth, which appeared to be slightly pointed but otherwise like everyone else’s. But as she watched, those same eye teeth descended until they were longer and deadlier than any animal she’d ever seen. Then just as easily they retracted back away from view.

“So you see, we easily walk among the mortals and none are recognized for who and what we truly are. You will always be safe around me,” he told her solemnly. “Your life is very precious to me.”

“When...how...why?” Lara didn’t understand how she could actually believe and accept the very things he was telling her.

“Who was she? Lara asked, wanting more information about this she-devil. Jealousy was now rearing its ugly head in her mind.

“Her name is Marissa.” He clipped out. “And she is a vicious, self-serving woman who will do anything to get what or who she wants.”

At the end, he calmly told her, “I have to leave now. As the story and legend goes, we have to be in before the sun comes up.” He attempted to laugh, but she stopped him short by settling her lips on his mouth. After a moment, he gently disentangled her arms and framed her face between his hands.

“Tomorrow night, little one,” he promised and kissed her.

When Lara opened her eyes, Lucien had disappeared, leaving her alone to think about the incredible tale he had told her. How could she not believe him or his story when he had appeared and vanished right here in this very room?

Dazed by all of the events of the day, she walked around her apartment, calmly returning each piece of clothing to its proper place. Setting the crumpled note on her dresser, Lara put her suitcase away in the closet. Her thoughts never straying far from Lucien and the love she held for him. With all the oddities through out her life she was more than ready to cope with her love for Lucien.

Fatigue finally caught up with her an hour later.

Brewing a pot of coffee, she sat down at her kitchen table and watched the sun move across the vista, wondering where Lucien was and if he was safe and out of the daylight.

****

High above the crashing waves on the southern California coastline, Lucien closed the blinds to his bedchamber and wearily walked to his massive king-sized bed. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled the tails from his snug-fitting black jeans, then fell back onto the soft cushion of the mattress. The sun was just peaking over the horizon when he had returned from his nightly trip to a hospital.

Eyes closed, he thought back over the short time he had spent with Lara. When the sun set tonight, he would take her away with him, somewhere where neither Marissa nor Steven would ever find her.

Not wanting to frighten her more than his ridiculous tale already had, he had omitted telling her the truth about Steven.

No, she would never need to know that.

****

Lucien decided to visit a hospital before joining Lara this evening, so he concentrated on a small European town he hadn’t visited in a few years.

The paint on the walls inside the hospital was cracked and peeling, confirming that this was indeed a poor hospital and couldn’t afford the latest life-saving equipment that most hospitals boasted, let alone new paint for its walls. The moans and cries of the patients tugged at his conscience. The rooms were crowded with the sick and dying, young and old.

There were no private rooms here. Only the contagious ailments were kept in a separate area. A small staff of nurses hurried from patient to patient, trying to offer some kind of comfort until the doctor got to them. The doctor appeared older than one would expect, but the nurses were happy to see and assist him.

Standing at the rear of the room, away from any activity, Lucien watched the older man attend each person as if he or she was a member of his own family. Smiles of relief were left in his wake, until he came to a small boy who was having great difficulty breathing. Holding his stethoscope to the thin, narrow chest, the doctor listened intently, then sighed and silently shook his head in response to a nurse’s whispered question. At that point the doctor noticed the visitor in the rear of the room.

“May I help you?” he called out, hurrying to the next patient.

Walking toward the doctor, Lucien relied, “No, but I would like to help you and your hospital if I may.”

Curious, the older man hesitated over the next patient. “That is very kind of you. As you can see we are in need of a great many things here, and we would welcome any assistance you may have to offer. Do you have a family member here?”

Ignoring the question, Lucien stared down at the boy whose eyes were clouded with fear and pain. “What is wrong with the child?”

“Juan has had weak lungs since he was born. Sadly, we do not have the means or equipment to make them strong. I’ve been very selfish in trying to keep him alive instead of letting God take him. I am just an old man with high hopes that some miracle will happen to save him, but I am not having much luck.” The doctor shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

“I would like to make it possible for Juan to get the assistance both you and he need.” Pulling a wad of bills out of his pocket, Lucien silently settled them in the older man’s gnarled hand. “There will be someone here in a couple of days to determine everything you and your hospital need to save the lives of the people in your village. If you would please have a list ready for them, they will make certain it will all be taken care of as soon as possible.”

The doctor’s eyes misted with tears, which he hurriedly brushed away.

“Now I can tell Juan that his miracle has finally happened. What is your name, so that we may mention you in our prayers?” the physician asked.

“The person I intend to send to you will be here on behalf of Saint Enterprises.”

With a sad smile on his lips, Lucien looked at the man.

“I would truly appreciate any and all of your prayers,” he finished, walking toward the exit and back out into the dark night.

****

Appearing in Lara’s small living room around one in the morning, Lucien found her curled up on the sofa with an opened newspaper lying across her lap. He smiled down on the sleeping woman he wanted and needed.

Sitting on the couch next to her, Lucien gently eased her over so that her head rested in the crook of his arm. Now he could hold her while she slept, something that he had wanted to do for such a very long time.

Lara awoke, and he smiled down on her. Her arms came up to encircle his neck as her mouth met his in a welcoming kiss.

“What took you so long?” she asked in a husky, sleep-tinged voice.

“I can see that you were pacing the floor waiting for me.” A low chuckle accompanied his words.

She sat up and the crumpled newspaper in her hand crackled as she moved. Placing it on the coffee table, she rubbed the newsprint off her hand onto her faded blue jeans before looking up at him. “I’ll confess I drifted off to sleep reading the news and the want ads.”

“What are you reading the want ads for? Looking for another man?” He growled playfully, hugging her close.