Мишель Роуэн - Tall, Dark & Fangsome

Gideon knew I was in love with Thierry. But I think he also knew that my nightwalker was in love with him. She’d made me turn my back on Thierry’s wishes. She was the reason I was here, standing in front of Gideon in a cold, dark crypt at midnight, ready, willing, and able to turn him into a vampire and save his immortal soul.

“Sarah,” Gideon said softly, bringing his hand to my face again. “I will miss you. But it has to be this way.”

I swallowed and panic clutched my chest. “What are you—”

“Steven,” he said louder. “Do it now.”

I only had to wonder what he meant for a moment. The candles flickered out. Something came over me, creeping and crawling over my skin, but it wasn’t anything tangible—it was magic. Steven’s dark magic. And it touched me tentatively a moment before I felt it plunge inside.

I gasped. The darkness of my nightwalker grew more and more until it felt as if it oozed out and covered me from head to toe. I struggled to break free from this tight hold, but it held me frozen in place.

Then suddenly it was gone.

I blinked and looked around. The room had grown lighter, but there wasn’t any more light in there than there was before. My eyesight had improved enough for me to literally see in the dark. My improved vision tracked over to where Gideon stood, now a few feet away.

He cocked his head to the side.

“I had Steven push away your remaining inhibitions so you could fully embrace your nightwalker,” he said tentatively. “How do you feel?”

Gideon. It was as if I couldn’t really see him before. My thoughts had been so cloudy. I saw him now, past the black scarf, past the scars. I saw the hellfire steadily burning underneath his skin and his soul slowly being eaten away piece by torturous piece.

I walked slowly toward him and reached up to unwind his scarf. He flinched when I touched the scarred side of his face.

“How do I feel?” I repeated. “Much, much better.”

I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him passionately on his lips.

I looked up at Gideon after the kiss with eyes I knew were now pitch black. He looked surprised at me. I didn’t know why he would be.

I felt calm and in complete control now. There was no dark thirst anymore. There was no guilt for what I was. Why should there be? The world felt a whole lot less scary now—

only clear and wide open to anything I wanted to do.

Steven’s magic had stripped away that whining part of me that angsted over every little thing. The part of me that wanted to get rid of this curse. What a strange word for something so completely awesome!

The old Sarah was gone. Totally and completely gone—her and her clinging need to stay with that ancient, humorless master vampire—

Thierry. No, I have to fight this.

—And I couldn’t be happier.

Wait a minute. What was that? It didn’t matter. I looked over at Steven.

“Powerful little freak, aren’t you?” I asked.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Gideon touched my arm. “Are you ready?”

“I was born ready.”

How could I ever have imagined myself with any man but him? He was perfect. No centuries of guilt to make him hide from the world. No fear of hurting those who trusted him.

I took his arm and left the unconscious body of Amy behind in the crypt. We emerged into a small cemetery. I could see everything around me as clearly as if it were day.

Something caught my eye. Veronique was waiting there.

I held back the annoyance as well as I could.

Did I have to deal with that bitch, no matter what man I chose?

So unfair.

Veronique frowned at me. “Sarah, my goodness, you look very strange.”

“Great to see you, too, Vee.”

She drew in a sharp breath. “You’ve lost the fight, haven’t you? Your nightwalker has taken over.”

“What the hell do you care? Aren’t you a part of the big picture?”

She shook her head. “I’ve been having second thoughts. Gideon.” She looked at him. “We need to discuss this. I need to plan my future, therefore I must know exactly what you mean to do after your siring. Where will you go? What will you do?”

He smiled at her. “I don’t have time for this right now.”

“Make time.” Her voice became indignant. “Or I shall not help you any further. Perhaps I never should have to begin with. I thought if I intervened, I might be able to spare some bloodshed or unnecessary violence. But now, with Sarah not herself, I worry about what will happen next.”

Survival instincts leading one to become entirely self-involved. Check.

I snaked my arm around Gideon’s waist. “Gee, I guess you probably should have thought about that before sleeping with Gideon yesterday, huh?”

“I didn’t sleep with him.”

“What?”

Gideon laughed softly. “Like I told you, Sarah. I had a nap. You drew your own jealous conclusions. No, Veronique truly believes her intervening in my plans means she has some say in the outcome. I, however, disagree.”

“Sarah,” Veronique said softly. “What are you doing? I thought you were in love with my husband.”

… Thierry…

“I swear, if you call him your husband one more time I’m going to punch you in the nose.”

A cold smile curled up the sides of my mouth. “What the hell are you doing here if you don’t approve, then?”

She raised her chin. “Perhaps I am here to stop Gideon from going any further.”

“Actually,” Gideon said, “you’re here for a much more important reason, Veronique.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Oh, and what is that?”

His gaze shifted to that of a predator. “After the ritual, both Sarah and myself may need to eat something nutritious.” A flick of his hand. “Steven.”

I glanced at Steven in time to see a red flash of fire enter his eyes. The next moment

Veronique was frozen in place, unable to move or talk.

“She does go on, doesn’t she?” Gideon said.

I moved to stand in front of her with a hand on my hip. “Huh. I think this is the longest

I’ve been in her presence without hearing her talk about herself. It’s like a record, or something.”

Then I turned my back on her. Rather a symbolic gesture, if I do say so myself.

There was a slight problem, though. Her mere presence reminded me of Thierry. And the image of him of ate away at the corners of my mind.

I love you, Thierry. I’m sorry I screwed up so bad.

“Oh, shut up,” I snapped.

Gideon looked at me strangely. “Everything okay?”

I smiled at him. “Never better.”

His jaw tightened. “We need to get started now.”

It was so different to see through the eyes of a full nightwalker and still feel in control. It didn’t matter to me who died tonight. Well, actually it did matter—I didn’t want to die.

I’d lived twenty-eight years trying to be a good person and what had it gotten me? Squat.

But now I knew behind that heavy blanket of doubt and guilt, I could have so much more fun.

With Gideon.

Yeah, we could have a whole lot of immortal fun together.

I’d never sired any vampires before. Hell, I’d never bitten anybody on purpose when I’d been completely in control of myself. That was kind of odd, now that I thought about it.

What kind of a vampire didn’t bite people? It was like being a vegan mosquito.

“What will Steven do?” I asked.

“When I drink from you he will use his magic to help push your power into me. A mystical nudge.”

“Works for me.”

The light from the full moon shone on the small patch of cemetery Gideon had chosen for the ritual. Steven was so quiet that I glanced over at him just to make sure he was still there. He was. His eyes were red and glowing in the darkness.