Corin & Angelique (After the Fall of Night) (28 page)

Jordon seemed to be considering his argument.

“You said to hand something over. What is it you’re after? If I can’t reason with you, I should at least know what I’m defending myself for.”

“I haven’t quite made up my mind about you, Nightwalker, but I’ll play your
game. You stole a charm from the Order of the Clythguards—a black diamond. I’ve been after it for a long time. After
you.
And I’m not leaving without it. So you can either hand it over right now, or die.”

“What do I have to do to convince you that I’m not your criminal?” Corin held
out his arms submissively. “Search me.”

Jordon wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity and
cautiously approached Corin, patting him down. Taking in a waft of Corin’s scent, the marshal’s entire demeanor instantly changed, and with a heavy exhale, he backed off.

A profane word passed his lips. “
You’re telling the truth.”

“I take it you know your prey’s scent.”

“You don’t possess his stench. I was so close this time.” He cursed in frustration.

“He was right in front of you, Marshal, but you went for the wrong guy,” Corin
was annoyed. “You’re lucky I didn’t take your head for attacking me.”

“Take it easy,” Jordon s
poke calmly. “I made a mistake.”

“At least you realize it now. Boldor has played us all for fools.”

Suddenly remembering Angelique, Corin whirled in search of her, spotting her crouched in the dark tree line. Rushing toward her, she scrambled back in fear.

“Stay away!” she yelled.

“It’s okay now, Angelique, I would never hurt you.” Corin could see she was shaken and understandably confused by everything she’d just witnessed.

“How do I know it’s really you this time? I don’t know what to believe,” she
cried.

“Take my hand and look into my eyes. You’ll feel the
difference…see that it’s me.” He knelt and reached out to her.

Angelique reluctantly did as he asked.

“It’s me, Angelique,” he assured her.

A look of relief replaced her frightened expression and she threw
herself into his arms, falling against his chest in tears. “You’re not human, are you?” She whispered from the safety of his hold.

“No, I’m not human,” he replied. “I’m a
nightwalker.”

How could he ever expect her to love him now that she’d glimpsed the
monster in his face and seen the fangs and talons extending from his body?

“A nightwalker?”

“Yes, a vampire,” he clarified.

Corin paused waiting for hysterics, but
Angelique remained calm.

“It’s like I’m trapped in a dream—a nightmare. If I could just wake myself
up….”

“This is no dream, Angelique, this is real. I know I’m not the man you thought
I was, but I hope you believe me when I say, man or monster, you can trust me.”

Chapter Nineteen

Fated For a Vampire

Jordon accompanied Corin and Angelique along the trail to the farm,
explaining the events that had led him there. Earlier, while resting in his room at Black River Falls Inn, his phone had woken him at 11:52. He’d lay perturbed for a moment before answering.

“Still chasing after me, Jordon Black?” a voice mocked. “Another night,
another bite, another victim runs in fright.”

This was the first time the nightwalker had ever made contact, leaving Jordon
bewildered.

“Care to join me for a feast? Wondering where I am, Marshal? Hmm…things I
see—a black Dodge Charger, a blue door marked 131, a man in bed wearing a gray t-shirt.”

Jordon scrambled out of bed and scanned the room. He slammed down the
phone, swatting at a spider that narrowly escaped up the wall and out a vent. Moving fast, he dressed, grabbed his wallet, badge, and gun, and stepped outside. Knowing it was most likely a trap, he still had to take the bait.

Finding the lot uneventful, he made his way around the side of the building in
search of the fugitive. He stopped when he spotted the wretch in a back alley, finishing off his kill. Jordon recognized the young, unfortunate woman—a housekeeper at the Inn. The nightwalker looked his way with a sneer and dropped the corpse to the pavement. He stepped into the light at the corner of the building and wiped his mouth. Squatting, he retrieved something from the ground. Jordon thought he saw movement, but he was too far away to make out what it was.

You’re purposely showing yourself. Why?

The nightwalker stood up, shape-shifted into a black raven, and took to the sky. Jordon transformed and followed, just as his foe had apparently planned. Moving around thirty miles per hour, the rotter led him to the Jaffler’s farm.

“And you thought it was me?” Corin said. “He was using my identity.”

“Yes.” Jordon looked at Corin. “He landed at the front of the house, took back your form, and headed for the door before I could move in on him. Ms. Jaffler answered so I stayed out of sight.”

“Call me Angelique.”

“Thank you, Angelique.” Jordon immediately noticed the displeased look on Corin’s face. A hint of jealousy creeping out perhaps? “Anyway, I didn’t want to put her in danger, so I just continued to follow and watch until your confrontation with him in the woods. He sure did a good job of setting you up, von Vadim.”

“And it almost worked. Except, he didn’t count on me showing up and foiling
his plan. Tell me, if you were following him the whole time, how did you manage to go for the wrong guy?”

“Approaching the creek, I thought I sensed someone behind me, so I doubled
back to check it out. I had no idea you were out there, ahead of us. I’m usually better with direction. When I returned, I found the two of you fighting, thinking you were my mark.”

“I also sensed someone. It must have been you. At the time, I thought it might
be Boldor. I’ve never been able to detect him.”

“That’s a lengthy story,” Jordon told him
as the farmhouse came into view.

“It will have to wait.” Corin caught Jordon’s
shoulder and whispered to him. “I need some time with Angelique. Meet us at the estate. We can talk more.”

Jordon took to the woods—a black wolf—leaving them alone.

“You never told me you and Tomes were twins,” Corin faced her.

“It’s no secret. It just never came up in conversation. Besides, you’re one to
talk. I’m sure there are still a lot of things I don’t know about you.”

“I just can’t help wondering why, in all the time I spent with your father, he
never mentioned it. I always assumed Tomes was a couple of years older than you.”

“He is older,
but only by a few minutes,” she said. “Hold on, did you just say that you spent time with my father?”

Angelique
exhibited a puzzled expression and Corin knew she wanted answers, not only about her father, but also about him.

“We’ll talk in the car.” He held the passenger door open while she got in, and
then took his seat behind the wheel. “I know you have questions. Feel free to ask me anything.”

“Okay. You said you’re a vampire. Do you drink blood? Or is that even true.”

“Unfortunately it is. Without it I couldn’t survive,” he told her. “I also sleep during the day, when the sun’s out, in the darkened basement of the estate house. I’m also immortal.”

“The murders, you didn’t—”

“No. It wasn’t me,” he assured her. “The other nightwalker, the one who deceived you, he’s the killer. His name is Boldor, and he’s a real monster in every sense of the word. He’s actually deluded you twice now, under the guise of me, and before, as Louis Gomez.”

“That’s why you and Tomes both warned me to watch out for him. And
speaking of Tomes, I suppose he knows about you.”

“He does.”

“Everything is so much clearer now, why he didn’t want me seeing you—a vampire. But he treats you so horribly.”

“And I can’t blame him for it.” Corin was glad she finally knew everything.

“He’s your brother, and he’s only protecting you.”

“Which is why you put up with him.”

“In the beginning, yes. And out of respect for the friendship I had with your father. Tomes can be hard to take, but we understand one another. We’ve actually been working together, trying to track down Boldor. Besides stopping the killing, I have my own issues with him, and Tomes wants revenge for everything the nightwalker did to Louisa. He won’t rest until he gets it.”

“I can’t believe I was alone with him tonight. He had ample opportunity to kill
me if he’d wanted, so why didn’t he?”

“I’m not sure. I know he wants payback for what happened with Louisa.”

“What do you mean? He killed her, what, six nights ago?”

“So much more has happened. I won’t go into every detail, but
to give you the short of it, Boldor resurrected her, but there were problems and she came back insane. When we found her tonight, and she attacked Tomes, I was forced to end her life in order to save him. Insanity, combined with the insatiable hunger of a nightwalker, is a hazardous mix.”

“Is he all right?”

“She cut him up and he’s weak from blood loss, but he’ll make it.”

“I knew something was wrong with him earlier. I could feel it.”

“He said the same thing about you.” Corin found their connection fascinating.

“We should get to him,” Angelique said. “I have a funny feeling now, but with
him being hurt, that’s most likely the cause.”

Trusting her connection, Corin didn’t waste another minute. He turned the
key, and the ‘Vette’s engine purred. He shifted into drive and hit the gas, eager to get to Tomes.

“I have Tomes settled in a room, but he’s a stubborn one. It’ll be a miracle if
he’s kept to his bed.”

Angelique burst out laughing. “You really do know him well. He’s strong
-willed all right. I’m afraid we’re a lot alike in that respect.”

“God help me,” Corin teased. “But seriously, despite our differences, he’s
grown on me.”

“He has a way of doing that.” Angelique smiled. “One of these days, when he
gets past this terrible time in his life, he’s going to look back and realize he has more material to work with than he’ll ever know what to do with.”

“What do you mean?”

“I doubt he’d want me telling you this, but he’s always wanted to write a novel.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not at all.”

“Well, he’s just full of talent, isn’t he—contractor, equestrian farm owner, and
now a writer?”

“As his sister, I’m of course biased, but I’ve read some of his short stories and
they’re very good. There are many sides to Tomes. You wouldn’t know it by his recent behavior, but he really is a sensitive guy. Some of his best work is pieces he’s written about Louisa. You can feel the passion and love they shared jumping off the pages.”

“I just can’t picture Tomes writing a novel.” Corin laughed. “But then again, I
suppose I have a lot of different sides myself.”

Angelique grinned.
“I can only imagine.”

Corin was amazed at how accepting she
was, despite everything she’d seen. Still, he couldn’t help wondering if her feelings for him would now change. Could she care for him, knowing he was a creature of the night that drank the blood of the living?

“Something’s wrong,” Angelique announced suddenly. “It’s Tomes. Something
bad.”

“Boldor,” Corin uttered, picking up speed, almost at the gate. “I was afraid
he’d go after him.”

* * * *

Tomes heard a noise outside his room and pushed himself up in bed. Someone was there. Watching the door, the knob slowly turned to the left. Gooseflesh covered his body as anxiety flooded him.

He grasped the staker tightly in his right hand
and took a deep breath. The door inched open and his heart drummed faster and faster. An unpleasant smell seeped through the crack, confirming his suspicion—Boldor. With that knowledge, he expelled his breath and raised the staker, aimed for the center of the doorway. He steadied his arm, figuring he’d probably only get one shot before Boldor reached him.

“Step through that door and I’ll shoot,” he called out. “And you can bet it’ll
hurt, Nightwalker. I know your weakness.”

The door stopped moving. Tomes assumed Boldor was contemplating his next
move.