"I am not leaving her alone with you!"
Lee saw murder in those gold eyes and grabbed Charles"s arm. "Come on, you can"t stop him."
Lord Baldevar laughed a sound that made Lee clamp down on Charles"s forearm with a painful grip. "Your lover is not only a gifted physician, but a pragmatist. You cannot keep me from Meghann; do not humiliate yourself by trying."
"Please," Lee whispered when Charles took a step toward the bed. "You can"t help her if he kills you. You know he won"t hurt her. At least he hasn"t taken her away."
Charles turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Meghann, was this what it was like for you the thirteen years you lived with him? An endless sense of futility and hopelessness because you couldn"t defend yourself against his power?
"d.a.m.n him," Charles snarled, stalking toward the kitchen. "G.o.dd.a.m.n that monstrous fiend to h.e.l.l! Poor Meghann what"s going to happen to her now?"
"She"ll live?" Lee ventured.
"She"ll live at his mercy," Charles said, smashing his fist into the stucco wall at his right. "Sorry I"m just so d.a.m.ned angry at myself, at him. You don"t think he saved Meghann because he loves her, do you?"
Lee thought of the way the vampire softened when he addressed Meghann, but decided this was not the time to engage Charles in a debate. "He wanted to save Meghann so the baby wouldn"t die?"
"Yes, there"s that." Charles sighed. "But the b.a.s.t.a.r.d has another purpose. You see, we are forever linked to our masters to the vampire that transforms us. That link is made through drinking the master"s blood. With Meghann drinking that fiend"s blood continually, he"ll gain a hold over her mind a way to try to influence her, control her."
"Meghann doesn"t seem easily controlled to me."
Charles gave Lee a tired smile. "No, she"s not a fact that drives Lord Baldevar up a wall. But if he doesn"t want her to miscarry, he can"t resort to his usual measures and torture her into submission. So he"s going to use the blood link and her vulnerability to try and worm his way back into her life. But I won"t let that happen. I might have had to stand back in there so he could save her life, but I won"t let him destroy her. If sharing blood weakens her resolve against him, I"ll be here to remind Meghann of her hate. G.o.ddammit, I will not let that b.a.s.t.a.r.d hurt my friend any more than he already has."
Simon could hear the boy making his melancholy promises, and shook his head. That is what you left me for, Meghann? Whimpering fools who do nothing but wring their hands and whine about their helplessness?
He shuddered to think of what would have happened if he"d allowed the sodomite to remain in the room with Meghann. She"d wake up, and immediately start to wallow in self-pity and melodrama all encouraged by her good friend.
Simon stretched out on the bed, pulling Meghann close to him and inspecting her emaciated body. Poor child, he thought, it feels like your bones will break if I even touch you. He couldn"t find the voluptuous beauty he loved in this starved vampire. Her cheekbones stood out in shocking prominence on her face; he could count all her ribs.
Simon felt a brief flash of rage when he looked at this skeleton with a bit of flesh stretched tightly over her bones. d.a.m.n you, he thought and his fingers clamped down on her forearms. Why did you do this to yourself, Meghann? Why didn"t you come to me and let me save you? How could she risk the life of her child and put herself through this kind of agony rather than contact him?
Meghann whimpered in her sleep, and he forced himself to relax. Still she thrashed and kicked at the bedsheets until he put her head to his heart and stroked her hair, murmuring the old endearments. Only then did her body go slack while her lips curved in a contented smile.
What an inconsistent, fickle child she was! He knew she"d raise the roof with her lamentations the moment she opened her eyes and saw him but now she clung to him like a frightened child. From the night he"d transformed her, Meghann seemed to change her feelings about him as often as the wind changed direction.
One night, there would be cool silence for some imagined slight and the next she"d crawl into his lap and her green eyes would plead eloquently for comfort, beg him to soothe away whatever had distressed her.
There were ways to help Meghann realize her true feelings, Simon thought with an evil smirk. But first he"d have to give her a bath, he thought, staring down in distaste at her oily, unwashed hair.
He gave her a quick sponge bath in the small, adjoining bathroom and washed her hair twice, pinning it to the top of her head. Then he took her back into the bedroom, scowling at the contents of the wooden drawers containing her clothes.
The drawers were filled with T-shirts displaying scruffy minstrels (he believed they were called rock stars) and vulgar sayings did the girl own nothing feminine?
Finally, he found a pretty spring-green nightgown with a scooped neckline and slipped that over her head.
He brushed her long hair free of the tangles that indicated it had been at least a few nights since she"d last brushed it, and glanced down at her sleeping face with satisfaction. Meghann was getting more color in her face and her eyes were beginning to move beneath her closed lids. She"d be awake soon and he intended to make sure she did not forget this particular waking for a long time to come.
Arise, Sleeping Beauty. Simon bit down savagely on his index finger and put it to Meghann"s lips, rubbing the crimson liquid all around like lipstick.
Without opening her eyes, Meghann reached out with her tongue to lap up the blood. Soon she was sucking on his finger, but she did not open her eyes because of the slight command Simon put in her mind.
Meghann tasted warm, unbearably delicious blood pouring down her throat.
She lapped greedily at the nectar where had she tasted this before? Not mortal blood, not this strong, dark substance that made her feel alive again, that the child inside her cried out for.
She felt a light hand at her thighs, playing with her. Eagerly she spread her legs, craving more. She heard a man"s laugh, low and self-a.s.sured, as he started to finger the aching flesh between her legs.
The finger at her lips was withdrawn and she whimpered a protest she wanted more blood. Then she felt hard, firm lips force her mouth open allowing her to taste the blood on the tongue that teased in and out of her mouth. Yes, she thought, take me, make me yours. Let me take more blood let me see you "As you wish, my pet," the hateful voice whispered, and Meghann"s eyes snapped open. She saw the chestnut hair, then the amused, gloating amber eyes, and bit down hard on his tongue with her blood teeth. Lord Baldevar pulled away without a sound, laughing even as blood poured from his wounded tongue.
"You son of a b.i.t.c.h!" she howled, slapping his face with a harsh crack that echoed through the small bedroom. "Take your filthy hands off me!"
"Will you take yours off me?"
With a start, Meghann looked down at the bulge she"d wrapped her hand around, and pulled her hand away as though she"d been burned.
Cheeks flaming, she was caught between such shame that she"d allowed this b.a.s.t.a.r.d to touch her that she wanted to die and an overwhelming rage that screamed out to kill him. Anger easily won out and she lunged at him, punching, kicking, and biting like a woman possessed.
"Careful, wildcat," Simon said, dodging a right cross to his jaw. He grabbed her wrists, forcing them behind her back. "Kill me and you destroy yourself."
"Shut up!" she howled, all her depression and fear turning to hate now that the source of all her misery was in front of her. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!
You evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d look what you"ve done to me! You ruined my life, and what the h.e.l.l have you done to Jimmy?"
Wildly, she glanced around the room. Yes, this was Lee"s house what the h.e.l.l had happened? "Where is Charles?" Her voice shook with rage and fear. "Charles!
Where are you?"
Charles appeared instantaneously, face pale and tense as he approached the bed. "Has he harmed you?"
Meghann sagged against the pillows with relief. Thank G.o.d at first, she"d thought Lord Baldevar must have killed Charles and Lee.
Careful to avoid Lord Baldevar by staying on the opposite side of the bed, Charles took her hand.
"Why is he here?" Meghann demanded, ignoring Lord Baldevar.
"Tell her why I"m here," the vampire said calmly, his lips stretched into an amused grin. "By all means, I think you should be the one to explain to Meghann why I"m going to remain here. But first, perhaps she"d like news of Mr.
Delacroix?"
"Jimmy!" Meghann said, and Charles thought he saw something flicker in the monster"s eyes at the love and concern in Meghann"s voice. "What have you done to him? I want to see him!"
"Of course," Lord Baldevar said immediately, making Meghann glare suspiciously. "When?"
"Now!"
"You"ve waited two months to find out his fate will another hour kill you?" "Why another hour?"
"You"re going to eat whatever that nice mortal physician has made you so you start to regain your strength. Then, I"m sure you"ll want to dress. Too, you"ll need time to throw one of your childish tantrums when your catamite explains to you that you need my blood. Be at my home within the hour, Meghann, and you may gaze upon your boy-toy to your heart"s content." Lord Baldevar murmured his address and gave Meghann a curt bow before vanishing.
Lee returned to the bedroom, carrying a wooden dinner tray laden with food.
"Hey! How did he disappear?"
"Didn"t you tell Lee about astral projection?" Meghann asked Charles.
"No time yet," he replied and took the tray from Lee, placing it on Meghann"s lap.
"Lord Baldevar didn"t disappear," Charles explained while Meghann sniffed cautiously at the chicken noodle soup and then began to eat. "Have you heard of the astral plane?"
"Isn"t that where Shirley MacLaine goes to find out about her past lives?"
That actually drew a small smile from Meghann. "Whether she does or not, I have no idea. The astral plane is a spiritual realm. Have you heard of people"s souls traveling to warn loved ones of danger? That"s astral projection too.
Basically, your soul leaves your body and travels the astral plane for enlightenment. But vampires can travel the plane with body and soul intact and we don"t just use it to contact spirits it"s our way of getting from place to place."
"Huh?"
"Show him," Meghann suggested to Charles, and he vanished, reappearing in the doorway.
"We can use the astral plane to travel distances of up to thirty miles," Charles said, grinning at his bemused lover. "It comes in handy leave the scene if someone sneaks up on you while you"re feeding, get away from your enemies."
"So Lord Baldevar just left my house and went to his by flying the astral plane?"
"Probably," Meghann said and her eyes darkened when she remembered the loathsome b.a.s.t.a.r.d had found her. A small crease appeared between her eyebrows and she turned to Charles. "What did he mean when he said I needed his blood?"
"Meghann," Lee said gently when Charles simply looked at her with frustrated pity. "Haven"t you wondered why you feel well? What made you better?"
No, she hadn"t everything had happened too fast, waking up and finding Simon leering over her. But before she opened her eyes the blood on her lips that made her feel such energy, banished that awful fatigue and nausea "Oh, G.o.d," Meghann whispered. "Simon"s blood I drank Simon"s blood and I was fine. But why? I don"t understand."
Quickly, Lee explained his theory and nearly crossed himself at the unnatural light that appeared in Meghann"s eyes.
"d.a.m.n him!" she cried and flung the tray across the room, creating a wild mess of splattered food and shattered cutlery, then pounded her fists through the mahogany headboard behind her. "d.a.m.n him, d.a.m.n him, d.a.m.n him!"
Her voice had risen to a hysterical scream, but Charles restrained Lee when he went to grab Meghann.
"Let it all out," Charles told her.
"I hate him!" she yelled, splintered wood flying everywhere as she attacked the headboard. "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! I can"t have him in my life! What"s wrong with me? I should have had an abortion! If only I"d let you sc.r.a.pe it out of me, Charles, before I got so sick and he found us. But no no, I wanted the baby."
"You couldn"t know you needed him through your pregnancy," Charles soothed.
"That doesn"t matter," Meghann said, pounding what was left of the bed.
"What hubris, thinking I could outwit him on this his precious philosophers"
stone. How could I be so stupid? Now what am I going to do? He knows about the baby and I have to drink his blood for the next seven months. Charles, don"t you see? He"ll take the baby after I give birth! My child in Lord Baldevar"s hands."
Meghann shuddered, and Charles wrapped his arms around his friend. "We haven"t lost all hope, Meghann."
"What do you mean?" she demanded. "Of course we have, or I have. I can"t escape the b.a.s.t.a.r.d now."
"You need his blood while you"re pregnant, right?"
Meghann nodded.
"But you"ll have no need of him once the baby is born. I propose to cut off his head while you"re in labor when he"s utterly engrossed in you and his defenses drop."
Meghann considered that it wasn"t a bad idea at all but something was making her deeply uneasy.
"Charles!" Her voice shook with fear. "How do we know he"s not still here?
You know we can"t feel his presence."
Charles jumped, scanning the small bedroom with wary eyes. Meghann was right they couldn"t know if Lord Baldevar was still here.
We"ll talk in places where we"re sure he can"t follow us far out in the desert , Charles told her telepathically. He did not think Lord Baldevar could camouflage his presence and read thoughts at the same time.
Meghann nodded. Or very near the dawn when he wouldn"t have enough time to fly back to his resting place.
"It"s settled, Meghann," Charles said and sat down beside her. "We"ll accept this temporary setback. But try to look on the bright side. You"re going to see Jimmy soon. Perhaps we can help him. Okay?"
"Okay," Meghann said but she couldn"t control the tremor in her voice.
"Meghann," Lee said and reached out to pat her hand. "I know it"s difficult but you have to try and relax or you"ll never recover."
Relax, Meghann thought and shook her head. How was she supposed to relax now that Lord Baldevar was back in her life?
CHAPTER FOUR
Charles glanced at Meghann, her face pale and lips compressed into a tight, grim line as she maneuvered her "58 Cadillac convertible through the winding streets of Spanish Hills, the exclusive enclave of houses set high above the Las Vegas valley and home to Lord Baldevar. Not able to think of any words that might comfort her, Charles simply sat beside her, ready to offer whatever solace she"d need when she saw Jimmy.
Meghann sighed and thought she"d give anything if she could light up a cigarette right now, inhale the rich aroma of nicotine and feel her anxiety dissolve with each puff. But she didn"t need Lee to tell her what her beloved Camels could do to the baby so she pacified her oral fixation by chewing on the end of a pen.
"It"s going to be bad," Meghann finally said, breaking the tense silence. "He"d never let me see Jimmy unless unless he didn"t get through transformation." Was Jimmy merely psychotic or had something worse happened? Meghann shivered as she remembered Alcuin a saintly man but forced to hide his face from the world because of the hideous deformities he"d acquired as a result of transformation. In her mind"s eye, Meghann could see her mentor"s face the translucent skin that exposed a network of blue and red veins, the viciously long blood teeth that permanently hung out of his mouth She doubted Jimmy would have the fort.i.tude to face immortality if he had to spend eternity looking like that. Come to think of it, she probably wouldn"t have been able to stand it either. Not that Lord Baldevar would have kept her alive he"d have no use for a deformed lover.
Charles spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "Meghann, are you sure you want to do this? I could go in there and "
"And what? Put Jimmy down like some hurt animal?" Meghann gave a bitter snort. "That"s my job. Haven"t you figured that out yet? I"m supposed to go into whichever one of these architectural monstrosities belongs to Lord Baldevar, see my poor Jimmy reduced to some raving imbecile, and kill him to put him out of his misery. The only reason Jimmy"s still alive is that wretched fiend wants the satisfaction of making me kill my own lover, of feeding on my pain when I see what he reduced Jimmy to. But he"s going to get the shock of his life tonight."
Meghann spoke confidently, but she had no idea if her plan, the one that had been formulating in her mind since Lord Baldevar left her that vile letter where he told her what he was going to do to Jimmy, would work.