Born to Darkness Book 1 in the Immortal Destiny Series: Vampire Romance Paranormal (4 page)

* * *

Inside the small - cramped office, Nicole found everything exactly like she’d left it. She switched on the lights and her computer.

There wasn’t a lot to do until she could contact Alec again. In the meantime, she decided to find out everything she could about vampires. Nicole opened the computer’s browser and started searching for information on the undead.

Most of what she found was a little silly, but she did find a couple of Internet sites that were downright chilling. People claiming to be vampires were actually placing ads for feeders. She wondered how many of them actually were the Immortal kind of vampires.

After an hour of searching, she’d found nothing of significance. A lot of nonsense about garlic and burying the vampire victim face down, but not much that would help her get Ethan away from that Omar character.

For a brief instant, Nicole had to wonder why she was even trying to do anything at all.

A vampire was a vampire, right?

But he was her friend. After all, he was trying to do something about it, and it wasn’t exactly his fault that he’d turned.

No, that was Alec’s doing, but there again, he’d only been trying to save Ethan.

She wondered why Alec had bothered to save Ethan in the first place. It just didn’t seem to fit with the typical vampire profile, especially with Alec.

One particular site on the list of search results caught her attention. 

Nicole clicked on the link. When the page opened, she knew she’d found something of some significance. Unlike so many of the vampire sites, this one seemed to be someone’s story.

Many years ago I was cursed, doomed to eternal darkness. It is a curse that is colder and lonelier than the grave could ever be. I believed that this would be my existence for all time, but then I found a place where the vampire can live in the light. It is not of this world, but at the same time, it is. I found it by accident, only to discover our kind is forbidden entrance to this place of light. This is what the vampire’s curse really is.

This could not be a coincidence.

Nicole looked around the site for contact information, but there was none. She had to locate this person - this vampire. She had to find out what he knew.

Nicole decided it was time to call in a favor from one of Ethan’s buddies at the police department. They could easily trace the site to whoever had put it up - at least she hoped they could.

Nicole stared down at the address she’d scribbled in her notebook, and then back up at the sign in the window of the little building.

Déjà vu Tattoo Body Art

The address was in a seedy area - near the riverfront. When she’d first read the address, she’d been doubtful. Now Nicole was even more skeptical about the accuracy of the information she’d received from Ethan’s cop friend.

She tried the door, but it was locked.

Peering in the window, Nicole strained to see what was inside. It was too dark inside to make out much of anything.

The sun was nearly down, but there was still some light. If this guy was one of them, it only made sense that he might not be out quite yet.

One moment she was alone, and the next instant he was standing beside her.

“Looking for something?” he asked.

Nicole swallowed her fear. She was determined to confront this vampire about what he knew.

He was scary - nothing like Alec or Victor. The vampire was completely bald, and covered with tattoos, strange - macabre images of women with blood flowing from their throats. Across his shoulder, was a large image of someone appearing to be half human and half beast.

“Are you Dash?”

His lips spread into a dark - foreboding smile. “Who wants to know?” he asked with a heavy British accent.

Nicole decided to push forward, regardless of the consequences. “I know you are a vampire.”

Growling, he drew back his lips in a snarl and flew at her.

“I belong to Alec Norwood,” she gasped, saying the first thing that came to mind.

He stopped, but his eyes were still glowing with deadly hunger. “You’re lying! You don’t smell like a feeder.”

Nicole rushed to get her words out. “I’ve come to ask you about the Place of Light.”

At her words, he backed away.

She had the advantage, but Nicole was smart enough to realize it was temporary. That was okay. It would only take a moment to say what she had to say. “I saw your website, and I need to ask you about it?”

Nicole felt the pain blossom in her brain and she knew that he was trying to get into her head.

“What would be your interest?” he asked, his voice back to normal.

“Do you want to stand out here and talk, or can we go inside? I assume this is your place?” Nicole smiled, hoping to bring some sanity to the situation, if possible.

Dash shook his head. “You are either very stupid, or very daring.”

“I’m neither of those things,” she assured him. “It’s just very important.”

After pulling some keys from his pocket, he stepped over to the door and unlocked it. Standing aside, he held the door open so she could enter. Dash followed her in - a moment later the lights came on.

“I don’t need the light,” he told her, “but I guess you do. Oh, and sorry about frightening you. I thought you might be one of them pesky vampire slayers.”

Nicole decided to get straight to the point. “What did you mean about a place of light?”

“It was a figment of my imagination,” he laughed.

“I don’t believe you.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “What would be your interest anyway?”

Nicole sat in one of the tattoo chairs. “What do you know about the Light Seekers?”

“Oh please … make yourself at home,’ he said sarcastically, motioning to the chairs.

“Thank you … I will.” She smiled sweetly.

“I know nothing,” he stated flatly.

“My friend is in trouble. Omar has him, so I need to find out as much as I can about the Place of Light.”

“Well if Omar has him … he is no more,” he said cryptically.

“Maybe there is a way to let others know about this place, and Omar will not have such a hold over your kind.”

Dash shook his head. “Most of my kind, as you call them … are very comfortable with the darkness. They wouldn’t care. Those of us that would like to live in the light … are few. Anyway, no one will believe?”

“I will,” she offered.

Dash grabbed her arm. “Do you mind if I just have a little taste?”

Nicole pulled her arm away. “Yes I mind … and so will Alec.”

He laughed. “Are you still using that story?”

“I know him,” she informed Dash.

“You one of his groupies?”

“No … a friend,” she exaggerated. She’d only seen him a few times, but his name seemed to work to keep the vamps from trying to feed on her, this one at least.

“Seems you make a habit of having vampires for friends,” he commented.

Dash appeared to lose interest in her. He was rummaging through a fridge, looking for something. A moment later he pulled out a clear bottle filled with red liquid.

“You don’t mind do you?” he asked, before downing the contents of the bottle.

Thinking it was blood, Nicole’s face twisted in disgust.

“What?” he asked. “It’s mixed with other proteins you know. My own creation,” he told her proudly.

“The Place of Light … tell me about it,” she prodded.

“Now you may not believe this, but you see … I hang with this motorcycle gang sometimes. We were out riding one night and we found this little midget dude walking along the highway.”

Nicole could not help but smile at the way Dash told the story with so much animation.

“Well if you knew me … you’d know I have a bit of a tendency to overeat. This little man seemed like he could be a nice morsel to hold me over. I let the others go ahead, and I stopped to talk to him.”

Nicole began to wonder how much of what he was telling her was real, and how much was made up, but she continued to listen quietly.

“It was a funny thing,’ he continued. “That little guy knew exactly what I was as soon as he saw me.” Dash shook his head. “It was like … really strange. Well, he told me that I didn’t have to do what I was doing. Then he handed me this little clear rock and told me if I closed my eyes, I would see a different way.”

Dash opened the fridge. “Sorry I need a bit more.’

Nicole turned away so she didn’t have to see him drink. “Isn’t that awful?” she asked.

“Oh no … with my recipe, it taste just fine refrigerated. I been trying to get the others to catch on to it.’

“Anyway …” Nicole reminded him about his story as she glanced at her watch. It was getting late, and she wanted to catch up to Alec when she was done talking with Dash.

“Well I did close my eyes like the little guy told me, and it was like I was somewhere else. I was in the light. It was a place like here … but where there were creatures of all types. But no vampires.”

Dash paused a moment before continuing. “He was there with me … it was like real magic. I asked where all the vampires were, and he said that vampires couldn’t be there because they had been banished thousands of years ago. The next thing I know, I was back, and the little dude was gone. He slipped right away from me.”

“Dash, do vampires use drugs?” Nicole asked. It was a fantastic story, maybe a little too fantastic.

“You see! That’s why I don’t tell anyone.”

“Well you have to admit it sounds a little farfetched,” Nicole told him as she got to her feet.

Dash shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the story.”

“Where can I find Omar?” she wanted to know.

He started laughing so hard, he was nearly doubled over. “No … tell me you are not thinking of going into Omar’s nest. A bit of a girl like you?”

“You could help me if you want,” Nicole told him with a half smile.

“Well now …I have a lot a work to do here.” He motioned to the chair she had been sitting on.

“Dash … can I ask you a question?”

“Guess that would depend on what it was.”

“When did you turn?” Nicole found Dash fascinating and she wanted to know more about him.

“I can’t remember a lot before I turned … but it was in the 80s.”

“What’s it like to be a vampire?”

His mood turned somber. “She wants to know what it’s like.”

His laughter was again dark - with just a hint of danger in it. “You are cold … always so cold. And there is the constant hunger. For those of us that crave the light, it is eternal hell.”

“I’m sorry. You seem like you could have been a nice guy … before you turned,” Nicole told him.

“What do you mean before I turned? Lots of people think I’m a nice guy now.”

“Of course, I just figured since you feed off of blood … that might be a bad mark.” Nicole tried to lighten the mood.

“Well there is that,” he said, his face twisting into a harsh grimace.

“Thank you for your story. It really was interesting.”

“What’s your name girl?” Dash asked her as she was leaving.

“Nicole,” she told him.

“Well Nicole … do yourself a favor and don’t go looking for Omar. He will kill you without a second thought. Your friend is a lot better at taking care of himself than you are,” he advised.

* * *

Nicole spent the next hour looking for Alec.

She went to the club, and though the other band members were there, Alec was absent. After leaving the Dark Wind, she drove by the house that he’d taken her to the night before. There wasn’t a single light on.

She should have been waiting for him when the sun went down.

Nicole was left with nothing to do but go back to the office or home. She didn’t think she could sit around at home - knowing Ethan was in danger, so she went back to the office.

Maybe he’d left some clues in his office?

She had no doubt that Ethan would have been tracking Omar, if he was as dangerous as everyone claimed.

When she walked in, she was only slightly surprised to see Alec sitting in her chair - his legs propped on her desk.

“It’s about time you showed up.” He glared at her.

“Well I’ve been out looking for you,” she told him, wondering why she felt the need to defend herself.

In a blink of an eye, he was standing next to her. “I smell another on you. Who have you been with?”

Nicole opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out. She hadn’t even decided if she wanted to tell Alec about Dash, and what she’d found out.

“Don’t deny it … I can smell him on you.”

Alec’s eyes were glowing with hunger.

Her heart raced as she imagined him sinking his teeth into her flesh. The thought was almost as erotic as the carnal images that slipped into her head whenever she was near him.

“I have seen another vampire,” she admitted. “I wanted to talk to him about something.”

“Are you mad?” he thundered. “Does the word vampire not mean anything to you? Humans don’t keep company with vampires.”

Stunned by his outburst, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

Shaking his head, he pulled her into his arms. Before she could protest, his lips were on her neck - kissing her until she trembled.

“If I should stay away from vampires … why are you here?” she whispered.

For a long time he said nothing. Finally he answered her with a question of his own. “What do you want with vampires anyway?”

She had no answer to offer.

“You long to lie on a bed of satin … with the grave to blanket your sweet body … but why?” he asked.

His teeth scraped against her neck and she shivered. “That’s not true,” she breathed.

“I can feel it in you. It seeps from every pore. You fear us, not because you fear death … but because you fear never being able to reach that final climax that is death.”

Alec slipped his hand into her shirt, and beneath her bra. His fingers squeezed at her budding nipples. His touch was painful, but arousing.

“Alec,” she moaned.

“Why are you interested in the Place of Light?” he asked her while still caressing and squeezing her breast.

Nicole tried to concentrate on what he was asking, but all she could think of was the searing need that his touch awakened. “I’m interested in finding Ethan,” she gasped.

“Let me relieve your suffering. It will be like nothing you have ever experienced,” he promised.

Nicole shook her head.

She had to focus on something other than having sex with Alec.

She wanted him way too bad. If she let go now, she would be lost. There was no doubt that she would become his feeder.

That type of death wasn’t what Nicole considered, alluring.

“Alec please … you are not being fair.”

“What did you want with the vampire? Some of this?” he asked, sinking his teeth into her neck - just barely breaking the skin.

Startled, Nicole yelped and moved away from him.

Grabbing at her neck, she felt warm liquid on her hand. When she saw the blood smeared across her pale skin, she was almost dizzy with horror.

“Does this mean …?”