As Twilight Falls (4 page)

“Everything,” Rosemary said succinctly.

Kadie’s gaze moved quickly around the table. The women were all watching her, some with curiosity, some with pity.

“Just tell me!” Kadie said. “What’s going on?”

“You’ve probably noticed the mansion up on the hill,” Shirley said quietly. “Blair House?”

Kadie nodded.

Still watching Kadie, all the women leaned forward, waiting for Shirley to go on.

“Morgan Creek is home to a coven of vampires. They all live in the house on the hill. Well, all but one.”

Kadie sat back. She would have laughed if all of the other women didn’t look so serious.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Shirley asked.

“Of course not. There’s no such thing as vampires.
Salem’s Lot
is fiction, not fact.”

Shirley looked at Leslie, Nancy, and Pauline. As if on cue, the three women removed their scarves.

Kadie frowned, wondering at their odd behavior. And then she saw the bites. They weren’t mosquito bites. Or spider bites. The imprint of teeth—fangs?—looked eerily like the bite marks usually seen in vampire movies. She sat back, feeling faint.

“Are you all right?” Nancy asked.

“I haven’t seen any vampires,” Kadie said. “At least, no one’s tried to bite me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, of course I’m sure. I’d know if someone bit me, wouldn’t I?”

“Maybe,” Rosemary said. “If you were awake when it happened.”

“And if they didn’t seal the wound to make it disappear,” Pauline added.

Kadie’s mind flashed back to the six hours she had lost. Had Darrick Vaughan bitten her while she was unconscious and then sealed the wounds? “Why do your bite marks show?”

“The vampires don’t bother to seal them,” Chelsea remarked. “We all know what’s going on.”

“Then why hide the bites with scarves?” Kadie shook her head, unable to believe she was having this conversation.

“They aren’t to hide the marks,” Leslie explained. “They’re to let the vampires know that we’re not available.”

“Available?”

“They aren’t allowed to feed on any of us more than a couple of times a week,” Marti added as if that made everything all right. “A red scarf means you’re off-limits A black one means a vampire has claimed you.”

Kadie’s stomach churned. “
Feed
on you?”

“Of course. That’s why we’re here,” Leslie said. “Why they won’t let us go.”

She was dreaming, Kadie thought. It had to be a dream. This couldn’t possibly be real. There was no such thing as vampires. “I thought vampires couldn’t be out during the day?”

“They can’t.” Pauline lifted a hand to her neck. “We don’t always get home before dark.”

“Oh.”

“In a way, you’re lucky,” Shirley said, a note of envy in her voice. “Darrick has staked you out for himself.”

“Darrick?” Kadie choked out the word. “He’s a vampire?”

“Of course. Most of the men in town are vampires. Since Darrick has claimed you for himself, the others are forbidden to feed on you.”

“Until he tires of you,” Chelsea said.

“Just be glad Rylan Saintcrow didn’t set his sights on you,” Pauline said, a shiver in her voice.

“Who’s that?”

“He’s the head vampire. Very mysterious,” Marti said. “None of us have ever seen him. All we have are rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” Kadie glanced around the table. Were they really having this discussion? She would have thought it was some kind of grisly joke, except they all looked so sincere.

“It’s said that when he picks a woman, she’s never seen or heard from again,” Shirley said, her voice a whisper.

“You mean . . . ?”

“No one knows for sure if he kills them,” Chelsea said. “But what other explanation is there?”

Kadie shrugged. “Do you know any of the women who disappeared?”

“Well, no,” Rosemary said as if she hated to admit it. “Saintcrow hasn’t been seen in town since I’ve been here.”

“So, it’s all just speculation,” Kadie said.

“Well, the rumor must have come from somewhere,” Pauline remarked. “But I wouldn’t worry about Saintcrow, since you belong to Vaughan now. I wish he’d picked me. Vampire or not, I think he’s hot.”

Kadie shook her head, unable to believe her ears. Hot or not, she didn’t want anything to do with him. Or this place. She pushed away from the table as panic washed through her. She had to get out of here. Now. Before it was too late.

Heedless of the calls of the other women, Kadie fled the library and raced for home.

Inside, she bolted the door, then stood there, her heart pounding in her ears. Darrick Vaughan was a vampire. All the women she had met were there for one reason—to feed the vampires.

How many vampires lived in Morgan Creek? No, that wasn’t right. Vampires weren’t really alive.

Had Vaughan fed on her without her knowing?

She gagged as revulsion swept through her.

She had to get out of this place!

Moving into the living room, she sank down on the sofa. If there was a way out of here, she would have found it by now. If there was a way, surely the other women would have left long ago.

She sat there, staring blankly out the window, as the clouds chased the sun from the sky.

The sound of the doorbell brought her to her feet. For a moment, she considered pretending she wasn’t home, but what good would that do?

Gathering her courage, she went to answer the door. After all, there was always a chance it wasn’t him.

Taking a deep breath, she called, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me. Marti.”

Weak with relief, Kadie opened the door. “Come in.”

“We were worried about you,” Marti said. “I came to make sure you’re all right.”

“All right?” Kadie repeated, locking the door. “I’ll never be all right again.”

“I know how you must be feeling,” Marti said, taking the seat Kadie indicated. “But once you get used to it, it’s not so bad.”

“Not so bad? I don’t believe what I’m hearing! How can you say that?” Kadie sat down, then stood and began to pace the floor. “You tell me this town is filled with vampires, that you and the others are food, and it’s not so bad?”

“Kadie, sit down and listen to me.”

With a shake of her head, Kadie sat on the sofa, her hands clenched in her lap.

“I’m not saying it’s wonderful or that I wouldn’t leave at the drop of a hat, but it could be worse. We have the run of the town during the day.”

“So, how does it work?” Kadie asked.

“Oh, it’s all very civilized,” Marti replied. “Like I said, they aren’t allowed to feed on any of us more than two or three times a week. And as long as you belong to Vaughan, no one else can touch you.”

“Lucky me,” Kadie muttered. “So, the vampires just come knocking on your door and expect you to let them take what they want?”

Marti nodded.

“Darrick told me to be careful who I invite into the house,” Kadie said. It hadn’t made any sense at the time.

“The vampires can’t enter a person’s home without an invitation. By giving you this house, he gave you more than just a place to live. It’s a haven. None of the other vampires will be able to come in unless you invite them.”

“You mean your house isn’t yours?”

“No, all the other houses belong to the vampires.”

“How many vampires are there?”

“Nine. Eight men and one woman.”

Considering she hadn’t even known vampires existed, it seemed like a lot. “And they all live here?”

“Yes. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think they can leave, either.”

Marti drew in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “Vaughan has given you a wonderful gift, Kadie. Something none of the rest of us have.”

“The only thing I want from him is my freedom. That would be wonderful.”

Marti nodded in agreement. “But it isn’t likely to happen.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I’m not sure. I tried to keep track of the days when I first got here, but . . .” She shrugged. “What year is it?”

“Two thousand and thirteen.”

Marti stared at her. “Five years,” she said, blinking back her tears. “My daughter will be in first grade by now. Brad’s probably remarried.”

Kadie laid her hand on Marti’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”

Blinking back her tears, Marti said a hasty good-bye and took her leave.

Kadie closed the door, then went to the window. She wondered how the vampires could be so cruel, separating a mother from her family? Silly question. They were vampires. Monsters. Bloodsucking fiends.

She thought about what Marti had told her about the vampires. There were nine of them in Morgan Creek. She frowned. How many people resided here besides those she had met?

She wondered why Vaughan let her have a car when none of the other women had one. And how she was supposed to keep him out of the house when he had already been inside?

The rest of the day passed with agonizing slowness. Kadie found herself constantly watching the clock, counting the minutes until the sun went down. Would Vaughan show up when the sun set and expect her to . . . to feed him?

The very thought made her stomach churn with revulsion. And then she heard a knock at the door.

Mind racing, she moved through the house, seeking a weapon of some kind, but there was nothing more menacing that the table knives in the kitchen. They didn’t look sharp enough to cut butter, let alone kill a vampire.

If only she had listened to her father and bought a pistol. Vowing that a gun shop would be her first stop if she ever got out of this place, she went to answer the door.

Kadie took a deep breath, then opened the door. As she’d feared, it was Darrick. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to stop by and see if there was anything you needed.”

“The only thing I need is to get out of this horrible place.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “Haven’t we already had this conversation?”

“Well, we’re having it again. I want to go home. Back to California,” she added before he could tell her again that she was already home.

“Now that we’ve covered that, would you like to go to a movie?”

“A movie?”

He heard the disbelief in her voice. “What’s the matter?”

“Whoever heard of vampires going to the movies?”

“Who said anything about vampires?”

“The ladies in town, of course.”

Vaughan looked thoughtful. “So, what do you think vampires do?”

“Drink blood and kill people.”

He chuckled softly. He couldn’t argue with that.

Kadie stared at the door, wondering why he didn’t come in, and then she frowned. What was it Marti had said? Something about vampires being unable to enter a home without an invitation. Surely that didn’t apply to Vaughan, since he had been in the house before. Then again, it hadn’t belonged to her at the time.

Curious, she opened the door a little bit wider. “You can’t come in, can you?” she asked, a note of wonder in her voice.

“Told you that, did they?”

Kadie nodded. So, it was true then. He couldn’t come in without her permission. She found that immensely reassuring.

“Have you nothing to say?”

Feeling safe within the walls of the house, she asked, “Do you feed on everyone in town?”

If he was startled by her bold question, it didn’t show. “Not everyone.”

“Why did you give me this house if I can keep you out?”

He considered a lie, then opted for the truth. “I didn’t want any of the others preying on you.” He flashed a wicked grin. “You might say you’re my own private stock.”

“That’s disgusting!”

“Really? I thought you’d be pleased.”

“Why on earth would you think that?”

“If you’re opposed to the idea, I can revoke your ownership of the house and let you fend for yourself.”

The threat should have scared her. Instead, it made her angry. “Do it then!” she snapped, and slammed the door in his face.

Eyes closed, Kadie stood with her back against the door. What had she done? If Vaughan took the house away from her, she would be at his mercy, and at the mercy of every other bloodsucking vampire in town.

Lifting a hand to her neck, she tried to imagine what it would be like to have them feeding on her, one after the other, until there was nothing left.

With a shake of her head, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of cold water, then splashed some on her face. She was letting her imagination run away with her. None of the women she had met looked as though they had been abused.... Good grief, what was she thinking? Just because the women hadn’t been drained of blood didn’t mean they weren’t being mistreated. They might have the run of the town. Food and shelter and entertainment might be provided for them. But, one and all, they were prisoners here, nothing but a food source for the vampires—a supply of fresh blood whenever the monsters got hungry. It was despicable!

Leaving the glass in the sink, Kadie went back into the living room and dropped down on the sofa. What was she going to do?

 

 

Kadie was still pondering her questionable future when she woke late the next morning. Later, sitting at the kitchen table over a cup of coffee, she considered her options and decided she really only had two—she could accept Vaughan’s offer, or she could join the ranks of the other women.

Neither option was particularly appealing, but if she had to pick one, Darrick seemed like the best choice. Kadie didn’t know how often he ate—or drank—or whatever, but better to nourish one than many.

Would he give her a black scarf to warn the other vampires away?

Feeling as though the walls were closing in on her, she ate a quick breakfast, dressed, and left the house.

Filled with a restless energy, she walked through the town, nodding to those she passed. Most waved back; a few people she hadn’t met stared at her, their eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Without conscious thought, she found herself in front of the house on the hill.

Was Vaughan in there? Resting in his coffin? Waiting for the sun to go down so he could rise and terrorize the townspeople ?

Why didn’t the people in town break into the old house and destroy the vampires while they slept? If the vampires were dead, would it break whatever spell kept the human inhabitants of Morgan Creek from leaving? Had they ever tried to destroy the vampires?

She frowned. If killing the vampires didn’t break whatever spell prevented the people from leaving, they would all eventually starve to death.

With that cheerful thought, she returned home, where she ate a leisurely lunch. After washing the dishes from breakfast and lunch, she rearranged the furniture in the living room.

A glance at her watch showed it was only two o’clock.

Sighing, she took another walk through the town and ended up at the library. Perhaps she could lose herself in a good book. It wouldn’t solve her problem, but it might take her mind off her predicament for an hour or two.

After chatting with the librarian, Kadie picked up the latest mystery by her favorite author, then found a chair in a secluded corner where she spent a few minutes wondering how the vampires managed to have the latest movies, books, and DVDs before losing herself in the story.

 

 

Kadie woke with a start, fear piercing her heart when she realized she had fallen asleep and hours had passed.

She stood abruptly. The book in her lap fell to the floor with little notice.

It was dark outside.

Marti had told her that the human population had the run of the town during the day, which, by implication, meant it belonged to the vampires at night.

And it was night.

And she was human.

And terrified.

She stared at the front door of the library, wondering why no one had awakened her, and what her odds were of getting safely home. There were a lot more people in town than vampires. Maybe she was worrying for nothing. It wasn’t that late. Only a little after seven. Maybe it was too early for the vampires to be out and about and there was nothing to worry about.

Startled, she shivered as the words whispered through the room. She glanced around, a nameless fear raising goose bumps along her arms. “Is someone there?”

Even as she called out, she knew there was no one else in the library, and yet she felt a presence in the room beside her. A frightening, almost tangible presence, as if a ghost had wandered inside and was now hovering nearby, watching her every move.

She flinched, certain someone—something—had just brushed against her arm.

“No such things as ghosts,” she murmured, her gaze exploring the shadowy corners.

She didn’t see anything, but there was something in the room with her. She knew it. And while there might not be ghosts, she knew there were vampires.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than a man was standing in front of her, a speculative gleam in his eye. A man who was, without doubt, one of the Undead.

“You must be the new one.” He smiled. His teeth were very white.

Kadie stared at him, her panic growing when she realized his wasn’t the presence she had felt earlier.

That same unembodied
thing
was still in the room.

The vampire took a step forward. “Just as pretty as I was told.” He took another step toward her. “You smell delicious,” he said, licking his lips. “Do you taste as good as you look, I wonder?” He took another step toward her, his nostrils flaring as he leaned over her.

He was sniffing her, she thought, the way he might appreciate the aroma of dinner cooking. And she was dinner.

He was reaching for her when he suddenly froze, his expression changing from lust to fear as he backed away from her, his gaze darting nervously around the room.

“I never touched her!” he shouted, and as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.

Kadie slumped down in the chair, her heart pounding as she glanced around the room. What had the vampire seen—or sensed—that had frightened him so?

She jumped out of the chair at the sound of footsteps, her hand pressed to her heart in relief when she recognized Darrick walking toward her.

“What are you doing here after dark, Kadie?”

She waved her hand toward the chair. “I was reading and I . . . I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was afraid to go outside, and then a vampire showed up. . . .”

“What? Who?”

“I don’t know. But something scared him off and then you came in.”

Darrick glanced around the room, then shook his head. “Saintcrow,” he hissed.

“What?”

“Nothing. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“How did he disappear so fast?”

Vaughan shrugged. “He didn’t really disappear.”

“Well, he certainly vanished from sight. What else would you call it?”

“Vampires can move faster than the human eye can follow.”

“So, he just left the room at the speed of light?”

“Something like that.” Vaughan opened the door for Kadie and followed her outside. “Vampires get stronger as they get older.”

“Really? How long have you been a vampire?”

“A little over five hundred years.”

Kadie blinked at him. Five
hundred
years. Try as she might, she couldn’t believe it. Sure, people were living longer these days, with more and more men and women living to be over a hundred. But five hundred?

“It’s true,” Vaughan said. “I was turned in 1513. Henry the Eighth was king of England.”

Kadie turned that over in her mind as she crossed the street toward her house. She had always been fascinated by Henry the Eighth and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Kadie had always questioned Anne’s wisdom in defying Henry. Had Kadie been the queen at the time, she would have taken young Elizabeth and fled the court. In Kadie’s opinion, being queen wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, especially if you were married to Henry, who had divorced two wives and beheaded two others.

They had reached the house. Kadie stopped at the door. “Thanks for walking me home.”

“If you’d really like to thank me . . .” His voice trailed off as his gaze moved to the pulse throbbing erratically in the hollow of her throat. “I know a way.”

Kadie shook her head. “No. I know you’re stronger than I am. I know fighting is useless. But I’ll never surrender to you willingly. I don’t care what you do.”

“Is that right?” He closed in on her, his hands flattening on the door on either side of her head. “Look at me, Kadie.”

She tried to look away. She tried to close her eyes, but she had no will of her own. She stared into his eyes and all thought to resist fled her mind.

“I want to drink from you,” he said. “And you want me to.”

“I want you to.” She hadn’t meant to say the words aloud, but they passed her lips of their own accord. She stood there, helpless, as he brushed her hair aside, then lowered his head to her neck. She felt a faint sting as he bit her. It wasn’t really painful, but the thought of what he was doing filled her with horror and disgust.

When he released her from his preternatural power, she slapped him as hard as she could, then escaped into the house and slammed the door.

She stood there, breathing heavily. Had he gone? Stepping closer to the door, she pressed her ear to the wood, but heard nothing. Was he still there?

Going to the window, she peered outside. At first, she saw nothing, but then, from the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She stared at the scarf fluttering in the breeze for several minutes. Vaughan had gone, but he had left a black silk scarf tied to the porch rail.

 

 

The scarf was still there the next morning. Black. The color of death. Removing it from the railing, Kadie let the silk slide through her fingers. If she wore it, she would be admitting to everyone, and to herself, that she belonged to Darrick Vaughn. A shiver of unease slithered down her spine as she wadded it up and shoved it into her back pocket.

Feeling a sudden need to get away from the house and everything it represented, she quickly changed out of her nightgown and into a pair of jeans and a sweater, grabbed her car keys, and left the house, deciding a drive was just what she needed.

At the end of town, she turned onto an unpaved road flanked by stands of timber that grew taller and closer together the farther she went.