Part 56 (1/2)

He came to a halt. ”Get it from her, Renate.”

Renate came at Jade, grabbed for her arm, and slugged her hard, hitting her first in the jaw, then in the stomach. Jade doubled over before responding, amazed. Then she straightened, still in pain. She struck back, catching Renate's jaw.

Hard.

Renate crumpled and staggered back.

But not before the vial of shampoo had gone flying. It crashed on the floor. Darian jumped back, fearing the touch of the liquid.

But then he saw the thickness of the solution spilling onto the floor, and he shook his head, grinning ruefully, as if she 'd played a marvelously good joke on him.

”Jade, Jade, Jade! You've nothing at hand. Nothing at all. Lucian, the great protector, is off chasing windmills! And your companions have deserted you on their quest to find weapons-leaving you empty- handed. All alone. Waiting. Ripe.”

”Lucian is here, you know,” she bluffed. ”He won't let you do this.”

”Lucian can't keep up with Sophia and me, my dear. Go ahead, run.

Get that blood pumping. And while you run, tell me more about Lucian.

About the way he's suddenly going to rescue you.”

”He knows that I'm here.”

”No. I don't think so.”

”You're wrong.”

”No, I'm not. You'd better run, Jade. Run. Because I'm coming.

Now. I've been waiting, but ah, will you look? The wait is over. Here we are, you and me .. . together at last.” He licked his lips. Smiled.

His fangs glittered in the light.

She did run. She tore down the length of the hallway between the two rooms. She raced to the door, ready to streak out into the hall.

He caught her before she could open the door, spinning her around, slamming her against it. He touched her cheek. ”You are a gem, you know. Something to be wanted, coveted. I loved your questions that night. I loved the way you tried to be so courteous and so polite, and yet I loved the way your eyes would roll when they would do something just incredibly stupid or rude.... You're quite entrancing. I can see the hold you've had on Lucian all these years....”

”I haven't had a hold on Lucian for years. You're not going to wage war with him again on that account. I'm not Igrainia.”

She felt the power of his weight. He was leaning against her at the door. She was held prisoner there. He brought his hand to her face again. She flinched; he smiled, rubbing his knuckles along the length of her jaw. ”You know, you liked me the night of the tour.”

”That was before I realized you chewed up college students,” she said.

”College students. I wanted the little boy-the blood of children can be so very sweet. But thanks to old Lucian, the woman took the kids home early. Kids have the best blood.” His eyes widened as he taunted her. ”College students are a poor subst.i.tute. The girl was all right, though. I had intended to take my time with her. Lucian rather ruined that.”

”Doesn't it bother Sophia that you go after victims in such a ...” ”Predatory manner? Or sensual manner?” he mocked. ”We are creatures of... shall I say ... flesh and blood? Ah, Sophia and I are not jealous of one another. If so ... well, her obsession with Lucian would have destroyed me long, long ago. Now there's a rather sad case. She wants him almost as much as she wants to destroy him. And she will in the end. She has the talisman.”

He placed his hand on her chest. ”Feel your heart!”

”Get your b.l.o.o.d.y hands off me!”

She shoved his hand away, pushed him, and stepped past him.

Startled, and then amused, he let her go.

”You haven't tried screaming.”

”I will,” she promised. ”I'll scream and bring every cop in Edinburgh down on you.”

”No, you won't.”

She didn't blink; she barely saw him move. But he was right in front of her again. Touching her. ”It's time,” he said.

”No!”

His fingers were in her hair; he had her head wrenched aside to aim his fangs directly into her jugular vein.

She could feel her own heart.

She could feel her blood, hot, Causing her vein to throb.

She could feel his fangs, the heat, the saliva, his touch....

Chapter Nineteen.

Suddenly she heard the sound of shattering gla.s.s.

The window had broken. Sweet, Jesus, yes, it was real. The gla.s.s had suddenly, violently shattered, and now it seemed to rain down in s.h.i.+mmering slow motion.

They were on the third floor.

A wolf, huge and silver, came hurtling through the gla.s.s. It landed on Darian with a thunderous force that ripped the vampire away from Jade and sent him flying against the far wall. Darian crashed hard against it. Then he rose, racing with the wolf at his heels, back down the narrow hallway.

Jade ran down the hallway between the rooms.

The wolf was gone.

Lucian stood in the center of the room, challenging Darian. But Darian had gone for the limp body of Renate, dragging her to her feet, using her as a s.h.i.+eld.

”She's .. . she let him in!” Jade cried in warning. ”She's . . .”

”Not dead yet, not his creature yet,” Lucian said, keeping his eyes hard on Darian. ”And if he harms her further ...”