Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) (3 page)

Ally reached behind the seat, looking for her coffee flask and a snack, which was essential on any stake out. She found the flask and brought it out. Her hand touched something and she twisted it to see what it was. There was a pink post-it note attached to her flask.

A laugh escaped her; this was obviously from her grandmother. Anytime there was something important to tell Ally, she would put it on a post-it and leave it somewhere that it would be seen. Most people would send a text message but not her grandmother. Adele had told Ally on many occasions that she was tech-challenged and this was easier. She grabbed the note and read it, “Don’t forget the Masquerade Ball tomorrow night, Ally. Love Gran xx”

“How could I?” she muttered aloud. It was all Gran had spoken about for the last few weeks.

Adele was quite the humanitarian, always looking for charities to support. Her grandfather had been a very wealthy man and Adele had inherited the money and his property upon his passing. Having seen both sides of life, she found that she had a drive to help the less fortunate. The Masquerade Ball had become an annual event to raise money for the charity that she had deemed most worthy.

Kathryn had been invited to this year’s event and she had a feeling it was going to be awkward and uncomfortable. The top two things on Ally’s most hated list, apart from spiders of course but who likes them anyway, nasty little critters. She missed Kathryn but so much had happened. Ally was one to burn bridges not keep the passages open for backwards travel. It was a habit she had developed ever since her parents died. Assumedly they were related but she had never wanted to delve into how. Some things Ally just didn’t want to analyse.

Pouring a hot cup of coffee, she thought think positive, maybe it will be as if time never passed between us. It was as she had this final thought she noticed that her mark had come home and it appeared that she was waiting for someone.

“Really, is it so hard to be faithful to your husband, Sarah?” Ally’s voice was dripping with sarcasm as she placed the cup down, managing to spill a bit on her jeans. She groaned then looked up to the window again.

Seeing her mark, Sarah made her check her own reflection in the mirror briefly. She wasn’t especially vain but she was a young woman after all. Every woman wants to feel beautiful when faced with the likes of her!

Overall, she was happy with herself. Alessandra’s wavy hair fell half way down her back and vivid green eyes looked back at her. She was average height, slim and curvy.

The beautiful woman in the crimson silk evening gown, Ally was watching in the window of the penthouse suite, was Sarah Carrington. Former highly paid escort to the rich and lonely men of Melbourne, now adulterous wife of Richard Carrington, heir to the Whitestone Publishing Empire. He had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but she had liked him well enough when they met to discuss her assignment. She also explained to him at the time, how she would need to wire up their bedroom with video cameras to record any incidences of infidelity. Mr Carrington understood and agreed to this being carried out.

Richard was a tall man with sun kissed blonde hair, baby blue eyes and a body that most women would worship. All the enquiries she had made about him had the same result. People that knew him had described him as generous, hardworking, fun and a fiercely loyal man who adored his wife. He had taken Sarah from a somewhat seedy background and made her into the glamorous socialite she was today. Ally had gathered from their meeting that Richard was very much in love with this snake.

Sarah was a rare beauty as much as she hated to admit it. She was blessed with a tall curvaceous but slim figure that men would drool over. With a pair of legs that seemed to reach the sky and her long blonde hair fell down her slender back, Ally could understand why a lot of men would try and coax her away from Richard, but if she truly loved him she wouldn’t stray. But herein lay the problem, Sarah Carrington only loved herself it seemed and didn’t appear to appreciate true love.

Truthfully, Ally didn’t even know if true love existed but she liked to think it did. Her parents had seemed to truly love each other but perhaps that was rare.

She wasn’t sure when she had become so jaded and cynical about life, love and everything in between, but she thought it was like the forming of a cliff face. The sea hurled itself at the helpless rock over a long period of time and slowly but inevitably the salt that lay within the cold emotionless ocean steadily tore away at it, wearing it down and making it something new.

She glanced back up at the window to see Sarah was no longer alone in the bedroom. Sarah’s guest had arrived. From Ally’s position in the car, she had a clear view straight into the bedroom. They seemed to be the kind who didn’t mind an audience. It was damned inconvenient when the mark hid behind curtains.

Ally was happy that she had taken the time to install audio. Video and audio always convinced her client that their spouse was committing adultery. The audio provided the answers that a photograph couldn’t, giving her clients some form of closure.

The man came into her focus now. He was sin itself in tight fitting dark denim jeans and a crisp black shirt that grabbed in all the right places. “Oh my,” Ally gasped.

She understood what Sarah saw in him but as she looked closer through the lens, she seemed to be drawn into a trance as if hypnotized by his potency. He was tall with a taut body and raven tousled hair that sat just below his ears. She couldn’t see his eyes as they were focused on Sarah but she made a guess they would be a piercing blue. She noted his aura seemed to send out a sense of danger. Even though his pull was phenomenal and he was incredibly gorgeous, something deep inside her was repulsed at the same time.

Ally felt as though she were two different people at that moment. One half drawn to this sinfully handsome dangerous man while the other half sensed evil and told her to run. The trance broke as he walked behind a curtain.

Coco barked bringing her back to reality. “For god sakes Ally…Focus!” she told herself. Coco had seen something and was staring intently at the apartment above them. “So even dogs think he is gorgeous hey pup?” Then the bark changed to a deep low growl.

Alessandra turned back to the window and saw Sarah in his embrace, her neck open and exposed as if in offering to this dark man. Her face looked strangely relaxed when she was supposed to be in the throes of this torrid affair. Not that Ally had much experience in illicit affairs but she had seen enough, given her occupation, to know the difference.

“Something’s not right, it is girl?” Coco hadn’t moved she was still watching with deadly intent. It was very unlike her furry companion to react like this.

She turned back and the handsome devil seemed to be feasting on her neck. It was animalistic, frantic but controlled at the same time. She couldn’t put her finger on her feeling until she saw the twin lines of crimson running down Sarah’s neck. “What the hell!” she cried out in horror and shock.

Torn between calling the police and wanting to get the hell out of there before he came after her, she decided to wait just another minute to see if she was mistaken. This couldn’t be what she thought it was. Clearly she was either dreaming or delusional.

Ally had heard of underground groups that worshipped and pretended to be vampires. Maybe Sarah was into that kind of thing and she had the whole scene wrong. But she doubted it.

“Just another minute girl…” She whispered to the puppy still sitting beside her.

And then everything froze.

Sarah’s lifeless body, now white as snow, fell to the floor with an inelegant thud. The crazy vampire wannabe turned to the window and began looking outside. He almost appeared to be searching for something.

Ally was well concealed and he shouldn’t be able to see her. At least that is what she thought. She held her breath as she watched his gaze drift to her location. He seemed to focus on her car and she felt the pull.

“Oh god, oh god he can see me,” she panicked. Ally knew with every instinct in her body, and felt it in her bones that this man was going to kill her.

Ally tried to drive away but the car wouldn’t start. “Oh seriously, this is too cliché!” she said as she hit the steering wheel with both hands in frustration.

Deciding to make a run for it with Coco, she saw him coming towards her. Throwing open the door and grabbing her baby girl, Ally started to run. That was the moment she heard him speak.

The fiend had a voice that sounded like angels singing. “Where are you off to Alessandra?” He was only a few feet away now.

She froze trying to understand how he could have gotten to her so fast and how he knew her name? “How d-do you know my name?” she sputtered.

“I have been searching for you my dear girl for a long time.” He crooked his finger and curled it. He was trying to lure her towards him. Instinctively she knew she had to fight and turn around but Ally found that she had little will to fight him. She felt like a puppet and was watching herself unable to control anything and he was pulling her strings.

What he had said triggered a feeling of fear but she was too terrified to remember what it meant.

Ally heard her grandmother’s voice in her mind,
“Resist him with everything you have.”
She wondered why her grandmother had sounded so desperate and why she heard her voice in the first place. Ally decided the mind could do anything when the body was threatened. The survival instinct was as old as time.

Ice-cold fear ran through her veins. All her basic motor skills had failed. She needed to think and think fast, if she wanted to survive this night. The only thing that stood out was he seemed to be the dramatic type. Maybe she could get him to talk, perhaps even boast a bit, and this might be her best shot out of this situation. Ally hoped she could revise the plan as needed.

“Who are you?” she asked with a challenge to her voice and standing her ground with an air of confidence she really did not feel.

“Why, I should think you already know who I am.” He said with an air of importance. “Adele should have told you.”

“Adele…what?” That had caught her off guard. Knowing Ally’s name was a bit creepy and strange but also knowing her grandmother’s name…what in the hell was going on here?

“How do you know my grandmother? As far as I was aware she isn’t in the habit of befriending psychotic killers.”

“You do have spirit don’t you. Just like your mother…or rather she used to.” He sneered.

Dread slithered down her spine at the mention of her mother. Pieces of the puzzle seemed to be clicking but she couldn’t and didn’t want to acknowledge that right now. If Ally let the pieces come together she knew she wouldn’t survive this, she would become overwhelmed and she needed to keep a clear head. If only she knew how to rattle him like he did her, throw his guard off for a minute so she could run. Who or rather what was this evil thing before her? she wondered.

“I don’t know who you are but you had better go find someone else to bother. I’m done here.” Ally knew it wouldn’t be that easy to just walk away but she had to try.

“Stay!” It was a command filled with a compulsion she could not ignore, her feet seemed rooted to the ground. “Enough of this foolishness Alessandra,” he hissed. “You have made the task easier by coming to me, so I shall make this quick. It might even be a pleasurable experience if you allow it to be.” He paused, “Dying doesn’t have to be painful or terrifying.” This evil being before her inched closer, so close she could smell his putrid breath. She imagined it was what death smelled like. A million poor lost souls rotting in his mouth.

“But before I do kill you, you asked me a question that I shall answer.” He paused for dramatic effect. “I am Vincent, the leader of our kind.”

“Your kind?” she asked, the terror inside her was growing by the second.

“You know this is actually kind of fun” he said as he let out a chuckle full of dark intent. She had no idea what to say to that so she just stood there stupefied waiting for him to continue.

“Cat got your tongue, Alessandra?”

“No I just figured you had more hot air to let loose so I’m waiting patiently,” she smirked hoping that she had rattled him.

Vincent hissed his displeasure.

She drew in a sharp breath at the shock of someone actually hissing at her.

“Spoil my fun and you shall be punished little girl.” Vincent told her with a tone that indicated he would follow through on his threat.

Ally’s eyes were transfixed on this monster before her as she chanted show no fear in her head over and over. “So you were telling me what you are?”

“I should have thought it obvious, given that you just saw me kill Sarah whatever her name was.”

Ally cocked her head to the side putting the pieces together. “So you’re trying to tell me you’re a vampire?”

He smiled wickedly and she knew the game of cat and mouse was drawing to a close. “Ah, the penny drops for the prophecy girl,” he laughed.

What was so amusing to him she didn’t know but his mention of the prophecy had jerked her mind back to that day five years ago. Her mind was working through the information at a rapid pace, recalling the prediction of Madame Isabella. “
The other man that is unknown has not yet found you but when he does you must be ready. His purpose is evil. There is a prophecy for you to fulfil. It involves you and this other man, the unknown one. If you don’t succeed in fulfilling this then all will be lost.”