Heather Graham - Kiss Of Darkness

“Tend to your friend. The police are on the way,” the voice continued.

She spun around. There was no one there. Wait! On the ground, by the tree. Jeremy. As she stared at him, he groaned.

She raced to his side. He groaned again. She fell to the forest floor, taking his head on her lap. “Jeremy, you’re alive. Speak to me. Are you hurt? Hang on, the police are coming.”

He blinked and opened his eyes, staring at her as if he didn’t know her for a minute. The he blinked again and tried to sit up, groaning. “How did I get here?” he murmured. He gripped her by the shoulders. “Mary. Where’s Mary?”

Nancy pointed. Mary was seated against another of the sheltering trees, staring straight ahead, her eyes blank even as they were wide open.

Jeremy stared at Nancy, then touched her cheek, and struggled to rise. He made it halfway and crawled over to Mary.

“Mary?”

She didn’t seem to see or hear him.

“Oh, Mary,” he murmured, taking her into his arms. She didn’t protest or respond. After a moment he set her against the tree again and looked at Nancy. “Help me. I’ve got to make sure the police find us.”

Nancy helped him stagger to his feet. “Stay with Mary,” he commanded.

Blood was trickling down his forehead. Nancy started to say something, then didn’t. What did it matter? They had to have help.

In the silence after Jeremy left, she became aware of the screams of terror, still echoing, audible even over the sirens.

A minute later, through the trees, she saw the police vehicles drive up. Suddenly the night was aglow with flashing lights.

The police seemed to be everywhere, helping those who had stumbled outside, those who were injured and those who were in shock.

“It’s going to be okay now, Mary,” she whispered gently, hugging her friend. She wondered if she should get Mary up, try to force her back toward the house. But as she sat there, shivering, she saw that Jeremy had found help and was bringing the police toward them.

She began to weep.

As she did, she looked up at a sky streaked with black and red….

At a night sky that seemed to bleed.

Jeremy didn’t go to the police station with some of the others who had been rounded up, screaming and in panic, outside the old castle. He’d been whisked off to the hospital, like Mary, because of the head wound he’d sustained.

It didn’t get him out of having to deal with a police officer.

Detective Florenscu sat in a chair by his bed, dark eyes brooding, brow creased with a frown, as he listened to Jeremy’s account of the events.

Then he shook his head. Behind him, another officer cleared his throat. Florenscu looked back at his partner, and sighed. “Mass hysteria,” he said in English.

“I am not hysterical,” Jeremy argued. He winced. His head still hurt if he talked too loudly.

Florenscu sighed. “We searched the place thoroughly. There were no signs of vampires—because vampires do not exist. But even in a small village, there is crime. And here, with so many tourists, men and women of unsavory character are drawn to our streets. Our only chance of finding them is with the help of the victims. With your help.”

“I’ve told you what I saw,” Jeremy said softly, closing his eyes.

“Please, you must keep trying to remember everything. Tomorrow you can go through books of photos for me.”

“Ask Mary,” Jeremy said.

“I’m afraid no one can ask your friend anything. She remains in shock. She doesn’t speak, she just stares.”

Jeremy roused himself. “She’ll come out of it. She has to.”

Florenscu shrugged. “When she is more stable, we’ll see that your friend gets home to the United States.”

“Nancy?” Jeremy whispered.

“She is waiting. You may speak with her now.” Florenscu rose. “She says someone brought you out to them in the trees. Who?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t conscious.”

“You have no idea?”

“No.” Jeremy shook his head. He winced. That wasn’t true.

“The man who fought the vampire,” he said aloud.

“There are no vampires,” Florenscu told him. “My men have recovered a large amount of alcohol and drugs. They are demons enough.”

“There was a vampire,” Jeremy said determinedly.

Florenscu sighed wearily. “This is Transylvania,” he said with a shrug. “Everyone wants there to be a vampire.”

“I’m not lying.”

“No. You are not lying. You are mistaken. But you are trying to be honest with me. So, tell me, what about this other man?”

“He stopped the vampire.”

“With a stake?”

The weary humor was apparent in Florenscu’s voice.

“With a longbow.”

“Touched with holy water, I imagine.”

“I wouldn’t know. All I know is that he saved my life.”

“Well, that is good. Let us hope I can find him and get some real answers.”

Florenscu rose and turned to leave at last, his partner following him. The minute he was gone, Nancy burst in. She rushed to him, all but throwing herself on him, then drawing away quickly. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“Hug me whether it hurts or not. You’re warm and alive.”

She sat down on the side of his bed and looked at him, troubled. “They don’t believe me. Not a word I say.”

“It’s a little late, but…well, I did say we shouldn’t go. Have you seen Mary?”

“Yes.” She looked down.

“And?”

“She just stares straight ahead. But she eats when she’s fed, drinks water. We’ll get her home. The doctor said that she might snap out of it in a day or two or…”

“Or?”

“Never,” Nancy said with a wince.

Jeremy’s mind reeled in a new kind of agony. Mary. He had failed her. And yet…it was a miracle that they were all still alive.

He shook his head; it hurt, and he warned himself not to try that again. “If we could find the man in the trench coat…. It was black, like his hat. I never saw his face.” He stared at Nancy. “He’ll know. He’s the one who brought me out.”

There was a soft tapping at the door. They turned simultaneously.

Jessica Fraser was standing there, her soft blond hair rippling down her back, her immense blue eyes filled with concern. He felt a little flutter in his heart, a stir of appreciation. And he felt like a real kid again, glad an adult had come to help him.

“How are you?” she asked, entering.

Jeremy stared at her. “Grateful to be alive,” he told her. “Mary…”

“I just saw her. We have to have faith.”

She smiled at them, walking to the bedside, touching his forehead. “I was due to fly out today,” Jessica said. “But the police said your parents wouldn’t be here until tonight or tomorrow morning, so…I wanted to be sure you were all safe before I left.”

Jeremy felt a pang. “You don’t have to stay.”

She laughed softly. “Maybe I do. You need looking after. You’re very lucky, you know. There have been similar disturbances in several other places. The authorities believe there’s a dangerous cult growing larger on a daily basis, well financed, with members who are adept at setting up in various countries and luring in victims. What on earth made you do something so stupid?” she asked.

He looked at Nancy. Nancy looked at him. Mary, they both thought. But Mary was barely alive, and he would never blame her.

“Stupidity,” he told Jessica. Then his eyes widened. “You were the one who went to the police, who told them something was up.”

“The minute I found your note,” she told him.

Nancy let out a little sob. “Thank you.”

“I was young once, too,” Jessica said ruefully. “Jeremy,” she asked, “how did you get away?”