Dark Salvation (11 page)

She curled up next to him, making soft cooing sounds of satisfaction.

For a while they lay like that, Nicholas listening to Kitara’s heart slowly return to its normal beat, and Kitara peacefully staring off into space, neither of them feeling the need to say anything to ruin the perfect moment.

He watched her lift her hand and carefully prod the bite on her breast.

“Sorry.” Nicholas whispered. He’d forgotten what it was like to be with a human. They don’t heal instantly. He should have been more careful. He should have closed the wound immediately. “Does it hurt?”

“A little. More than I thought it would, I guess.”

“Let me take care of that for you.” Nicholas rolled over on top of her and lowered his head.

He pierced his tongue with this fang and lapped at the angry wound.

Kitara let out a sigh of relief and relaxed back into the mattress.

Nicholas pulled back and watched as the wound began to close, returning the soft skin back to flawless perfection again.

“That’s amazing,” she said. “How do you do that?”

 “It’s all part of the magic in our blood.”

“If you can heal like that, then why not leave all of your victims alive?”

“You asked me to bite you here.” He lifted his hand and grazed the thumping artery in her neck. “If I sever this artery here, you die, no matter how quickly I try to heal you.”

She gulped.

“When I feed, it needs to be quick. Consequently, the victim dies. Only in cases like this, where you are a willing participant, can I sample from more tempting sources.”

He dipped his head again and pulled her nipple into his mouth.

“Careful, a girl could get used to this,” Kitara giggled.

Nicholas pulled back. “Couldn’t help myself. Perfection deserves to be recognized.”

“You’re doing it again.”

“What’s that?” He settled down next to her, resting his head into the pillows.

“You’re being a gentleman. Nice and, dare I say it, romantic.”

“Right. Because that is a bad thing.”

“It’s not. It’s just...”

“That this is a one-time deal. I know.” He tried to hid the sorrow in his voice, but wasn’t quite sure he’d hit the mark. He knew this was a one-time thing.

“No. I didn’t mean—”

“Kit, I don’t need this to be any more or less than it is. I’m enjoying the moment, as should you.”

“You just surprise me. That’s all. I didn’t really picture you as a softy.”

“Now who’s being a jerk?” he teased.

“Open mouth, insert foot. Sorry.”

“I probably deserved it. I am a jerk most days. Come here.” He pulled Kitara close and she rested her head on his shoulder.

She felt good, snuggled up against him like this, her body radiating heat, her sweet breath blowing against the hairs on his chest. He could get used to that. No. He quickly banished the thought. She was not his. And, even if she weren’t hung up on her Saint, he was in no position to open himself up to that kind of pain again.

“Why does he hate me?” Kitara mused aloud as she ran her fingers through his chest hair.

“You’re not supposed to be thinking about him, remember? This was our little break from reality.” Of course, he too was guilty of letting his thoughts ruin the moment.

“I know, but now that the moment is over, my mind is racing.”

“You want more distraction?” Nicholas turned his head toward her.

She smiled, but Nicholas could see the doubt behind her eyes. “I wouldn’t say no to that. I just can’t understand. I mean, I get why he hates you.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“That came out wrong. What I mean is, I understand why he might not like vampires. You guys kill people.”

“You’re hot in bed, baby, but your pillow talk leaves much to be desired.”

“Sorry. I guess death and hatred are not sexy topics for you?” She laughed sheepishly.

“Contrary to popular belief, no.”

“I just can’t understand. We had five years together. We’d talked of marriage and kids, and overnight it seemed he became this crazy religious nutjob. He told me I needed to be baptized. I should talk to priests and cleanse my soul. I’m not a bad person, Nicholas. I just don’t believe in the same things he does.”

“You can’t rationalize fanaticism. That’s what the Saints are: fanatics. Anything supernatural is evil.”

“And that’s why he hates me? Because I pray to a different set of gods and occasionally they help me make things happen?”

“Bingo. Humans have always feared that which they do not understand. These people take it to the extreme. They’re hypocrites, too. Not only do they kill my kind, but they use my kind for their own purposes too.”

“What?”

“You haven’t met him yet, but when Santino returns, he can give you all the info you want. He used to be one of the Saints’ best killers. And he’s a vampire.”

“Vampires killing vampires. Nice.”

“You see, the Acta Sanctorum is full of hypocrites. And Jeremy has been brainwashed by them.”

“But you said your friend Santino stopped being a Saint.”

“He was a special case. No one else has ever come back from that kind of brainwashing. Jeremy is as good as dead to you now.”

The light faded from her eyes. Sadness tugged at the corners of her lips. So much for their happy moment. Nicholas had managed to say the wrong thing yet again, and ruin it.

“Maybe dead was too strong a word.” Backpedaling was not working either. He could clearly see it in her eyes. She was done for the night. Nothing was going to pull her out of the depression spiral she was tumbling down into.

 “No, you’re right. I…I need to go clean up. Thanks for… this.” Kitara stumbled out of bed, clutching the sheet to her body as a shield, and quickly retrieved her clothes. Without a look back, she left the room.

Women!

Centuries on earth, and still he did not understand them. Nicholas heard the bathroom door shut across the hall. She’d cool down and see the truth for what it was. Hell, maybe if he was lucky, she’d come back ready for a little more distraction. Content with that knowledge, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

***

Kitara stormed into the bathroom, more mad at herself for what she’d done tonight than for the harshness of Nicholas’s honesty. He was right though, as much as she didn’t want to hear it. Jeremy was as good as dead to her. He’d made his choice: the Saints over her. There’d been no mistaking the cruelty in his eyes as he told her never to talk to him again.

She dropped the sheet to the floor and picked through her clothes, looking for her panties.

Damn! They must still be in Nicholas’s room.
She’d just have to live without that pair. There was no way she was going back in there. It would either lead to more mistakes, or more frustration. Probably both.

Sleeping with Nicholas was wrong. She wasn’t the one-night-stand kind of girl. Kitara knew better, but she’d so desperately needed to feel something other than pain, betrayal, all the hurts Jeremy had inflicted on her. Jeremy had dismissed her summarily, and Nicholas, as pleasant a distraction as he was… there was no future there. He was a vampire. One who was dead-set against anything relationship-y anyway. He’d made that perfectly clear. This was only a one-night thing.

That cheapened the whole experience for her. Sure, she’d never really intended it to be more, but to have that confirmed made her feel as if it was some tawdry thing.

She needed to get some space to clear her head, and move on. She couldn’t stay in this house any longer. No, not in this house, and not in this city!

 
Time to face facts. Cut your losses.
It was time to pack it in and go home, back to San Antonio. She still had a life there and some friends.

She’d envisioned this trip being so much more. She’d so desperately wanted to save Jeremy, return home with him and find her happy-ever-after.  She’d dared to dream of their wedding, the white picket fence, children. All the things that were supposed to happen.

Nothing ever works out the way you plan it.
A little voice in the back of her head taunted her.

What a cruel joke. The reality had been so much more painful. But, though it had been a complete failure, she was happy she’d at least tried. She’d given it her best shot.

Kitara tossed on her clothes in the small bathroom across from Nicholas’s room, and splashed a little cool water on her face.

Good riddance!
She gave a quick glance to herself in the mirror and then headed silently for the front door.

Her hotel key was still in her messenger bag, hanging by the front door. She debated whether or not to crash there for the night or just head straight to the airport and catch the first flight out that she could find. 

This town had nothing more for her, and the faster she left it behind, the better. She slipped on her coat and gloves and left without a second look back. She’d had enough vampires, enough Saints, and enough bullshit for one lifetime. Kitara even considered giving up on magic all together. That’s what had started her down this path of pain.

Outside, the wind had picked up. She pulled her coat tightly up to her nose as she walked back to her hotel room to retrieve her belongings.

The more she walked and thought, the more she knew she was making the right decision. She’d wasted enough time chasing down a love that clearly would never be returned. She’d done more than most would have, knowing that most would find her foolish to do so.

Saying goodbye was admitting the worst kind of defeat; the loss of her innocence. True love was supposed to trump all. It was the one true good in this cold cruel world; the purest form of magic that could overcome any obstacle. The reality, the harsh lesson of it all, was that love was no more than a fucking fairytale; complete bullshit. Fleeting and fickle, a childish fantasy of false hope. There were no happy-ever-afters in the real world. Only lying, cheating, and broken hearts.

Her cheeks burned with anger, but Kitara would not let herself cry. She’d wasted too many tears already. No. She needed to pull herself up by her big girl panties and get on with things. Life was cold and cruel and it was high time she thickened her skin and dealt with it.

A block from her hotel, Kitara felt a pair of eyes on the back of her neck. Nervously, she glanced over her shoulder and quickened her pace. Nicholas had warned her of other dangers on the street at night, and she should have heeded that, but her desire to get away had clouded her judgment. She hoped she’d be able to reach her hotel quickly. 

“You shouldn’t have come here, Kit,” Jeremy’s voice called out from behind her.

Kitara’s heart leapt into her throat. She stopped in her tracks and turned on her heel. “Jer? Oh honey, I knew you couldn’t…”

“I told you... Why couldn’t you listen? You’ve ruined everything.” Pain accompanied his words. Though his expression remained stiff, she could see the sadness in his eyes.

He wasn’t alone either. Two other soldiers flanked him. Tall men. Armed men. Men pointing weapons directly at her!

“What the hell?”

“Let’s go, witch,” the man to Jeremy’s left barked the order. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

Panic had her heart racing. “I’m not going anywhere with any of you! Jeremy, tell them!”

“You always have to get your way.” Jeremy walked forward, closing the gap between himself and Kitara. “You could have had a great life without me, but you had to come nosing around, didn’t you?”

“Jeremy. No! What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, now that the Saints know of you and your relation to the vampires, they cannot turn a blind eye.”

“No. You leave me alone!” Kitara shrieked. She turned on her heel, intending to run, but a shot was fired before she could take a step forward. Her shoulder burned. She felt the heat spreading up her neck and down into her arm. The streetlights became hazy. Then she lost all control of her muscles. The ground came up to meet her hard and fast. Her head hit the pavement and the world blinked out to nothingness.

Nicholas woke to an empty bed. Alone again. Kitara’s sweet orange and vanilla scent still lingered in the room, a subtle reminder of the closeness they’d shared. A closeness that could never be again. No matter how wonderful it had been to hold her in his arms and enjoy the delights of her hot body, she was not his. Her mind and heart belonged to another.

Perhaps that was his lot in life. He’d had his shot at love, and now that it had expired, he’d be a confirmed bachelor.

He stood and stretched then walked to the window, gazing down at the snowy night. The rest of his clan should be back, and they could piece together the events of the last few evenings. The possibility of action and a fight with the Saints gave him something to smile about. Nothing helped curb the pain of a sad heart like a good and bloody battle.

He pulled on some sweat pants and a t-shirt and headed downstairs. If he was lucky, he might even be able to get in a few hours of training before the evening really got underway.

“You dog.” Ian clapped him on the back as he entered the parlor. “I didn’t realize you wanted to hit that. I’d never have flirted with her if I’d known.”

“You can do as you like. She’s free to make her own choices. But after getting the complete package, I doubt she’ll accept spare parts.”

Ian laughed. “No woman can resist me. I come with attachments.” He waggled an eyebrow.

Just once, Nicholas would love to be able to shut that cocky bastard down, but Ian took perky and self-assured to a whole new level. “How about Fallon and Alyssa? Do those ladies not count?”

“No single women,” Ian countered with his trademark brilliant smile.

It was pointless to keep trying to insult him so Nicholas changed the subject. “Where is Kitara, anyway?”

Ian shrugged and began walking towards the study. “Left this morning, just as we were getting back from the preserve.”

“Did she tell anyone where she was headed?”

“I assumed she was going back to her hotel. She had her bag and everything.”

Nicholas’s heart stopped. “Gods damn it!” He punched a hole straight through the plaster wall. “You just let her leave?”

Ian turned around sending a quizzical look in Nicholas’s direction. “Did I miss something?”

Panic raced through Nicholas’s blood. He knew exactly where she had to be. And chances were, she could already be dead. “She’s going after Jeremy,” he said, not bothering to hide the worry in his tone.

“Were you that out of practice in bed, man?”

If he weren’t so panicked at the moment, he’d knock that cocky little gimp on his ass. “She could be in trouble, and you’re making jokes?”

“You’re right. Sorry. Jeremy is a Saint. Why do the cute ones always have to get hung up on assholes?”

“My thoughts exactly. She thinks she can save him. Make him see the light and come back to her.”

“Why on earth would she attempt such a thing?”

Nicholas hung his head in shame, remembering their last conversation. “She got the idea from me. I told her Santino switched sides.”

“But those were extenuating circumstances.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t.”

“She’s going to get herself killed, if she hasn’t already.” Nicholas said a silent prayer that she was still alive and that he would have time to find her. “Who’s here now?”

“Everyone.”

Nicholas made a bee-line for the stairs. “Rouse them all and be ready to go in five.”