A Night with a Vampire by Cynthia Cooke

struggled to breathe. “Uncle Ben came out of nowhere.…”
    â€œYou two are the ones who set the explosives,” Marius said.
    â€œHad to. Couldn’t let those things loose. Most…were…vampires. You don’t know—” he gasped for breath, his strength waning “—what they’re capable of.”
    â€œDon’t I?” Marius turned to Xana. “When did you last see the case?”
    â€œXana. Don’t. Give him…cylinder. It’s all he…wants.” A slew of coughs wracked Cayman’s chest. Speckles of blood splattered his hospital gown.
    â€œStop. Cayman. Please. I don’t have this cylinder,” she protested, her heart breaking into a million jagged painful pieces. “I need to trust Marius. I can’t do nothing and just let you die.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter.” He coughed again. “There is no time. Not for me.”
    â€œWhere is the formula,” Marius insisted. “We have to stop the virus from spreading.”
    â€œTrust him, Cayman,” Xana pleaded.
    Cayman lifted himself up and pointed a shaky hand at Xana’s neck. Her hand flew to the necklace he gave her. “The formula is inside.”
    Nausea rolled through her as she took off the necklace and handed it to Marius. She’d had it all this time!
    â€œThere, you got what you were after. Now go,” Cayman said then fell back against the pillow, his eyes closing once more.
    Marius’s hand brushed Xana’s shoulder. She looked up at him as he gestured for her to follow him into the hall. “You can trust me,” he said. “You know that, right?”
    She did know it. She nodded.
    â€œThen I want you to remember where you were when Cayman gave you the case. Think about what happened after.” She listened to his voice and leaned closer to him, staring into his dark gaze until she felt as if she were drowning. Her tongue slipped out to moisten her lips as she anticipated his kiss, his touch, his taste, knowing he could search her mind for any memories she might have hidden there.
    â€œPlease tell me I’m doing the right thing?” she whispered.
    â€œI don’t need to. You already know.”
    He kissed her gently and she felt herself melting as his kiss deepened, as his lips moved behind her ear and down her neck. She didn’t feel it coming and barely flinched as he bit her, his fangs sinking into her neck with a sting that quickly melted to pleasure.
    Her eyes fluttered closed as heat began to rise within her. Just as quickly, he broke away, releasing her. She grabbed onto his shoulders for support as she wavered in his arms. “Did you see anything?”
    â€œYou were running through the building, the case in your hands. The impact from the explosion sent you flying into the bushes. Then you saw me. You got up and ran into the building, looking for your brother, the case forgotten.”
    â€œYou think it fell into the bushes where I landed?”
    â€œYes, I’ll find it.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you see all that the first time you bit me?”
    â€œI only saw him put the case in your pocket before I broke away.”
    â€œWill you go to the warehouse?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s only two hours ’til sunrise.”
    â€œXana,” Cayman called, his voice barely reaching them. She rushed back into the room.
    His eyes widened as his gaze moved to her neck. She touched the wound. Her skin felt wet and sticky.
    â€œIt’s okay,” she assured him. “Marius is going to help us.”
    â€œYou can’t trust him,” Cayman muttered. “It was his warehouse we blew up. He’s been in on it, working with Uncle Ben from the start.”
    Shocked, she turned to Marius. “Is that true? Was the warehouse yours?”
    â€œYes. Just like the warehouse in the Tenderloin is mine, but I don’t manage it. And I didn’t manage