Immortal Sins (22 page)

Standing in the moonlight, Rourke gathered his power, felt it flowing into him and through him, spreading through every fiber and cell until it hummed through his body. He focused his energy, felt himself rise into the air as if he had wings.

It was exhilarating feeling the rush of the wind against his face as he picked up speed and left the earth behind.

He reached his destination just before dawn. Drifting down, he landed in a fallow field behind the wizard’s chateau, then quickly went to ground to await the night.

He rose with the setting sun. As always, he was somewhat bemused by the fact that none of the dirt or debris clung to him or his clothing when he emerged from the bosom of the earth.

The first order of business was to ease his thirst, which he did quickly and efficiently. With his hunger satisfied, he made his way to the chateau.

Set amid a copse of trees and surrounded by a high, white rail fence, it was a lovely old place with weathered gray walls, a blue tile roof, and tall, leaded windows. A faint breeze carried the scent of damp grass and vegetation. Somewhere in the distance, Rourke heard the rush of water flowing over stones.

He frowned as he drew closer to the chateau. The house was closed and shuttered. No lights shone in the windows. No smoke rose from the red brick chimney.

“So, Vilnius,” Rourke mused aloud. “Where have you gone?”

He paused briefly at the front door. Under other circumstances, he would have needed an invitation, but not now. Three hundred years ago, Ana Luisa had invited him into her home. No one had ever rescinded that invitation.

At a wave of his hand, the heavy oak door swung open, and he stepped inside.

The interior of the living room was cold and dark, the furnishings rich but austere, from the dark brown leather sofa and matching chair to the wrought-iron lamps and glass-topped mahogany tables. Expensive paintings lined the walls, an Oriental carpet covered the floor. There were few decorations in the room: a graceful Chinese vase, a carved box made of onyx, a large jade elephant.

Rourke moved unerringly through the dark room and down a hallway until he came to the back parlor. This room was also richly furnished. Looking around, Rourke could see that this was the room where the wizard spent most of his time. A big-screen TV took up most of one wall. There were a comfortable-looking overstuffed chair and a couple of side tables. A tall bookcase held a wide variety of books, everything from dictionaries and comic books to the works of William Faulkner, Thomas Aquinas, Tolkien, and Voltaire. But it was his father’s sword, hanging above the marble fireplace, that held Rourke’s attention.

For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the elegant lines of the ancient weapon as he remembered the man who had been his father. Thomas Rourke had been a stern and forbidding man, unbending in his beliefs, fiercely loyal to his king and his friends, merciless to his enemies. But he had also been a loving husband and father, one who had always found time to spend with his wife and children.

With a feeling of reverence, Rourke lifted the sword from its place over the mantel. Was it only his imagination, or did the hilt of the sword seem to warm to his touch? He turned the blade this way and that, marveling at the stark beauty of it, the way it fit into his hand as if it had been made for him and no other. Power shimmered along the blade, and with it he heard the deep bass of his father’s voice assuring him that he could do anything he desired.

Holding the sword in front of him with both hands, he touched his forehead to the slender blade, silently renewing his vow to avenge himself on Josef Vilnius.

And then he settled down to await the wizard’s return.

Ana Luisa ran through the night, reveling in the sting of the wind against her face, the way she flew over the pavement, her feet scarcely touching the ground. She loved being a vampire, loved the sense of power and exhilaration that filled her body upon waking from the Dark Sleep. She thrilled at the hunt. It was such an amazing feeling calling mortals to her, bending their will to hers, knowing she held the power of life and death in her hands.

As a witch, she had enjoyed some of the same abilities—she could move objects with her mind, pass, unseen, through crowds, float in the air—but those abilities had not been as strong or allowed her to feel the exhilarating power that engulfed her now.

So far, she had not taken a life. From childhood, she had been taught that all life was sacred and not to be wasted or taken lightly. Ramon teased her about it, calling her Little Miss Mercy because she always left her prey alive. She knew he sometimes killed those he hunted, but he never took a life when he was with her. Once, she had almost asked him how many people he had killed, but at the last minute, she had decided she didn’t really want to know.

It was only when she slowed to gaze at a shooting star that she realized she was no longer alone.

The knowledge came too late. Before she could defend herself, a body slammed into her, driving her down to the ground. She felt the rip of fangs at her throat as Maitland drank and drank. She tried to fight him, but she was no match for his greater strength.

If only she hadn’t insisted Ramon send him away, she thought dully, but it was too late now. She could feel herself slipping away. Just before she lost consciousness, she thought she heard Ramon’s voice.

“Maitland! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Maitland looked up, his mouth covered with blood as he crouched over Ana’s body like a lion guarding its kill. His eyes blazed red as he glared at the vampire who had sired him.

Ramon swore a vile oath as he glanced from Maitland to Ana Luisa. Her face was fish-belly white. She didn’t seem to be breathing. He swore again as a vagrant breeze carried the scent of her blood to his nostrils.

Ramon glared at Maitland. He had only minutes to get to Ana and close the wound before she bled out. Although vampires were virtually immortal, the bite of another vampire intent on destruction could sometimes be fatal.

“Dammit, Maitland,” he hissed. “Back off!”

Fangs bared, Maitland rose to his full height, a challenge in his eyes.

“So,” Ramon said. “That’s how you want it.”

“It’s been coming for a long time,” Maitland said. “I intend to end it now, tonight.” A low growl rumbled in his throat as he sprang forward.

At the last moment, Ramon darted to the side. Pivoting on his heel, he grabbed a handful of Maitland’s hair and gave a hard yank. Maitland stumbled backward, his arms flailing. Ramon threw him to the ground and in one vicious movement ripped the other vampire’s heart from his chest.

Maitland kicked once and lay still, like a balloon gone flat.

Ignoring his fallen fledgling, Ramon hurried to Ana Luisa’s side. Lifting her into his arms, he ran his tongue over the wound in her throat, his saliva quickly sealing it. Next, he tore a gash in his wrist, then held the bleeding wound to her lips.

“Drink, Ana,” he pleaded urgently. “You must drink.”

For a moment, he thought she was beyond saving, but then, with a low moan, she licked a drop of his blood from her lips. A shudder wracked her body, and then, grasping his forearm, she took what she needed.

“That’s it, chica,” Ramon murmured. “Take what you need.” And so saying, he closed his eyes and surrendered to the ecstasy of nourishing the woman he loved.

Kari stared at her computer wondering how it was possible for time to pass so slowly. It had been two weeks since she had last seen Rourke, but it seemed as if months had gone by.

In an effort to put him out of her mind, she had started taking her work home with her at night so she would have something to keep herself busy while he was gone, and when that didn’t help, she called some old friends that she hadn’t seen in a while. The day before yesterday, she had gone out to lunch with Cindy Lewis, and last night, she had gone to the movies with Cindy and her twin sister, Sandy. She had called her mom for a long chat, and phoned her best friend, Tricia, at least three times a day.

Nothing she did really helped, because, sooner or later, she was alone and missing him again, as she was now. Going into the living room, she sank down onto the sofa, then picked up her cell phone and called Tricia.

After the usual pleasantries, Tricia said, “All right, hon, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Kari replied with forced cheerfulness. “What makes you think there’s anything wrong?”

“Number one, it’s Saturday afternoon. Number two, I just saw you at lunch an hour ago. Number three, this is like the sixth or seventh time you’ve called me since last night. You haven’t called me this many times since you broke up with Ben. What happened? Did you have a fight with Mr. Tall, Blond, and Dreamy?”

“No, we didn’t have a fight.” Kari sat back on the sofa, idly running her fingertips along the edge of one of the throw pillows.

“Did you break up?”

“There was nothing to break, Trish,” she said quietly.
Nothing except my heart
.

“Uh-huh. So, are you going to tell me what’s going on, or are you going to keep me guessing?”

“Nothing happened. I…he…I just haven’t seen him for a while.”

“And you miss him.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. But it’s probably just as well that he’s gone.”

“Why? Honestly, Kari, you should hang on to that one.”

“If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh, or tell me I’m crazy?”

“Well, sure, that’s what friends are for.”

“He’s a vampire.”

“I knew you shouldn’t have got to Romania!”

“Trish, listen to me. I’m serious about this.”

“Serious, yeah, right,” Trish said, snickering. “Come on, Kari. A vampire?”

“Please, just listen.” Kari took a deep breath, striving for calm. “I know you can’t remember, but I bought a painting a while back by an artist named Vilnius…”

“You’ve got a Vilnius!” Tricia exclaimed. “Good grief, girlfriend, did you win the lottery or something? Where is it? Why didn’t you tell me? When can I see it?”

“You’ve already seen it, and I don’t have it anymore—”

“Don’t tell me you sold it before you even showed it to me!”

“Trish, please, just listen. I bought a Vilnius. It was called
Man Walking in the Moonlight
.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of that one,” Tricia said, and Kari heard the frown in her voice.

“Yes, you told me about it when I first brought it home. Can’t you remember? You told me all about Vilnius, and how he painted only a handful of canvases, and how everybody thought the one I bought was one that had been lost—”

“Yes, that’s right. Three of them were lost or destroyed. One of them,
The Wizard’s Daughter,
is somewhere in Romania. Everyone assumed
Man Walking in the Moonlight
had been lost, as well.”

“It wasn’t lost. Rourke was trapped in it. When he got out, he destroyed it, I guess. Anyway, it’s gone now.
The Wizard’s Daughter
has been destroyed, too.”

“Another vampire?”

“No. Long story short, Vilnius caught Rourke in bed with his daughter. Naturally, Vilnius, who is also a wizard, was upset. He trapped his daughter in one painting and Rourke in another—”

“Kari, really, no one would believe any of this.”

“I know that. But it’s the truth. You saw the
Man in the Painting
at my house. And you saw Rourke after he escaped from the painting, but he made you forget everything.”

There was a long pause, then, “How did he get out of the painting?”

“I said I wished he was with me, and the next thing I knew, the painting fell off the wall, the glass cracked, and he was standing there, as big as life.”

“Honestly, Kari, with an imagination like that, you should write science fiction.”

“This is so frustrating! I wish you could remember!”

“There’s nothing to remember….”

“Tricia, what’s wrong?”

“My head hurts.”

Kari’s heart skipped a beat. Could Tricia’s memory be coming back? “Try to remember. The night you came to see the painting, you were wearing jeans and that red T-shirt with the little white hearts on it. You came over after the painting broke, too, and I showed you the notes he’d written to me. You said the ink looked like blood—”

“Oh, Lord,” Tricia said with a groan. “I do remember.”

Kari sank back against the sofa, suddenly weak with relief. Tricia knew. Tricia believed her.

“But a vampire…Really, Kari, what makes you think he’s a vampire?”

“Because that’s what he is. Tricia, he drank my blood.”

“What? Are you…Good Lord, don’t tell me you’re a vampire, too!”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, he was gorgeous and he seemed to make you happy, so I can understand why you miss him, but, as you said, you’re better off without him.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said it’s probably best that he’s gone.”

“You didn’t fall in love with him, did you?”

“Yes, I’m afraid I did.”

With a sigh, Tricia said, “Well, Kari, you know those romances never turn out well in the movies. Someone always comes along and drives a stake through Dracula’s heart.”

Kari laughed in spite of herself. “Thanks, Tricia, I needed that.”

“Well, that’s what friends are for. Is there anything I can do?”

“You’ve done it. I just needed someone I could talk to, someone who knew the truth.”

“Well, I’m here for you anytime.”

“I know, and I appreciate that. I’ll talk to you later.”

“I’m sure you will,” Tricia said, chuckling. “Bye for now.”

“Bye.”

Kari hung up the receiver. Nothing had really changed. Rourke was still gone. She still missed him. But she felt better just the same.

Later that evening, curled up in a corner of the sofa with a cup of peppermint tea, she tried to concentrate on the video she had rented earlier that day, but it was no use. She could think of nothing but Rourke. Where was he tonight? Was he thinking about her? Or was he off with the beautiful, red-haired vampire she had seen him with not so long ago? Maybe they were off somewhere making up for the night they had missed out on because Rourke had been with her. The thought that he might be making love to another woman was like a knife twisting in her soul.

She was blinking back tears when the doorbell rang. With her heart in her throat, she put the cup on the table and hurried to answer the door.
Please
, she thought,
please let it be him
.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the lock. A breath of cold air assailed her when she opened the door, but it was nothing compared to the disappointment that swept through her when she saw it wasn’t Rourke standing on the porch, but a frail-looking man with papery-looking skin, long gray hair, and the blackest eyes she had ever seen.

For a moment, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Finally, she managed a weak, “May I help you?”

“I am looking for Jason Rourke. I was told I could find him here.”

“I’m sorry, he’s not here.”
Nor likely to be anytime soon
, she thought glumly.

“When will he return?”

“I don’t expect him back.”

A muscle worked in the stranger’s jaw. His black eyes narrowed.

Kari took a step backward, chilled by the stark expression in his eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Who are you?”

The stranger didn’t move, yet he seemed to become more than he was. “I am Josef Vilnius.”

She stared at him thinking that, on some deep, subconscious level, she had known it all along.

“And you…” His gaze bored into her. “You are Karinna.”

“Yes.” The word was drawn from her throat as if he had reached inside and forced it out.

“You care for him?”

“Yes.”

“Does he care for you?”

She tried to deny it, but again, she found herself saying, “Yes,” remembering, as she did so, that the last woman who had cared for Rourke had ended up trapped inside a painting for three hundred years.

The wizard nodded, and the night seemed to grow darker, colder.

Kari shivered. Unable to draw her gaze from his, unable to retreat into the house, she wrapped her arms around her middle and waited.

Vilnius studied her for several minutes the way a scientist might study a newly discovered species.

She studied him in return. He wore a pair of expensive-looking dark gray slacks, and a light gray jacket over a crisp white shirt. A tiny diamond stud winked in his right ear; his left hand sported a ring set with a blood opal.

Something froze deep inside her when he nodded. “Yes,” he said, his voice sounding the way she imagined a snake would sound if it could talk. “Yes, I think you might be useful. For a while.”

She didn’t like the sound of that at all, and liked it less when she tried to shut the door in his face and discovered that she couldn’t move a muscle, couldn’t even blink.

A slow smile spread over the wizard’s face. “Useful, yes,” he repeated.

And then everything went black.