gleamed like silver moondrops in the darkness, and for the first time since he’d entered D’Angelo’s house, Slade felt afraid. Terrified. Not for himself, but for Simone.
“What have you done to her?” he demanded.
“You pathetic human,” D’Angelo growled. “I did nothing to Simone that she didn’t want. She and I are meant to be together. I’ve waited centuries for someone like her. She loves the darkness. Craves it. There’s nothing you can do to keep us apart.”
“We’ll see about that,” Slade shouted. He grabbed Simone’s hand. “We’re getting out of here. Now! You don’t know what he is, what he can do to you.” Neither did Slade. But he knew without a doubt that D’Angelo was evil, and he had to get Simone away from him.
Simone lifted her dazed eyes to his. “Oh, but I do. I know exactly who and what he is. He’s given me eternal life, and I can give it to you. I can make you one of us.” She opened her mouth and laughed, revealing long fangs that gleamed in the candlelight.
“Dear God,” Slade gasped in horror.
Simone reached for him, her teeth growing even longer, sharper, more deadly as she lifted her mouth to his neck. Terrified, Slade tried to shove her back, but she was too strong. Her arms closed around him,holding him to her even as he felt those deadly fangs graze his flesh.
He experienced little more than two pinpricks of pain, but he felt the darkness almost immediately seeping into his soul. Felt the coldness of her touch draining away his warmth, and for a moment, dear God, for one split second, he welcomed it. Desired it.
Craved
it.
Then somehow he managed to summon the courage to fling her away from him. To tear himself away from that sinister pleasure that beckoned so strongly. Simone’s arms flailed wide, upsetting one of the silver candelabras on the table near the window.
Instantly the drapery caught fire, and the breeze fanned the flames. The blaze raced across the carpet. Within seconds, an inferno separated Slade and Simone from D’Angelo. The vampire roared in rage. “Simone!”
Simone turned on Slade. “You fool! Look what you made me do!”
Slade grabbed her arm. “Leave him,” he pleaded. “Come with me, Simone. We’ll find someone who can help us. It’s not too late. It can’t be too late.”
“Don’t you understand?” she screamed. “It’s too late for both of us now!” Her fangs had disappeared and she looked lovely and innocent, exactly like the Simone he had fallen in love with years ago. “I belong to him now.”
Before Slade could stop her, Simone had turnedand plunged into the wall of fire. Slade ran after her, tried to reach her, tried to draw her back. The pain in his seared hands was nothing compared to the torment in his heart. Before his very eyes, he saw Simone’s gossamer gown erupt in flames, but somehow she continued through the blaze, trying in vain to reach D’Angelo’s outstretched arms.
“Slade!” D’Angelo screamed, his own flesh blazing as he clutched Simone in his arms. “I’ll see you in hell, Slade!”
Whether from the burns on his hands or from Simone’s last deadly kiss, Slade never knew, but he blacked out then. When he came to, he found himself outside on the grass as the mansion blazed like a gigantic torch in the night. Lying there watching the fire, Slade felt his world turn to ashes around him.
When it was all over, nothing remained but Slade’s guilt and the endless questions he’d had to face from the department. What was he doing at D’Angelo’s mansion? How did he know the man? Did he go there with the intent to harm him?
The questions very nearly ended Slade’s career with the force because he couldn’t answer them. How could he? How could he make people believe what he still couldn’t understand himself? If not for Simone’s father, the police commissioner, Slade’s career would have been finished.
But the commissioner had witnessed the changes in his daughter. Convinced
“What have you done to her?” he demanded.
“You pathetic human,” D’Angelo growled. “I did nothing to Simone that she didn’t want. She and I are meant to be together. I’ve waited centuries for someone like her. She loves the darkness. Craves it. There’s nothing you can do to keep us apart.”
“We’ll see about that,” Slade shouted. He grabbed Simone’s hand. “We’re getting out of here. Now! You don’t know what he is, what he can do to you.” Neither did Slade. But he knew without a doubt that D’Angelo was evil, and he had to get Simone away from him.
Simone lifted her dazed eyes to his. “Oh, but I do. I know exactly who and what he is. He’s given me eternal life, and I can give it to you. I can make you one of us.” She opened her mouth and laughed, revealing long fangs that gleamed in the candlelight.
“Dear God,” Slade gasped in horror.
Simone reached for him, her teeth growing even longer, sharper, more deadly as she lifted her mouth to his neck. Terrified, Slade tried to shove her back, but she was too strong. Her arms closed around him,holding him to her even as he felt those deadly fangs graze his flesh.
He experienced little more than two pinpricks of pain, but he felt the darkness almost immediately seeping into his soul. Felt the coldness of her touch draining away his warmth, and for a moment, dear God, for one split second, he welcomed it. Desired it.
Craved
it.
Then somehow he managed to summon the courage to fling her away from him. To tear himself away from that sinister pleasure that beckoned so strongly. Simone’s arms flailed wide, upsetting one of the silver candelabras on the table near the window.
Instantly the drapery caught fire, and the breeze fanned the flames. The blaze raced across the carpet. Within seconds, an inferno separated Slade and Simone from D’Angelo. The vampire roared in rage. “Simone!”
Simone turned on Slade. “You fool! Look what you made me do!”
Slade grabbed her arm. “Leave him,” he pleaded. “Come with me, Simone. We’ll find someone who can help us. It’s not too late. It can’t be too late.”
“Don’t you understand?” she screamed. “It’s too late for both of us now!” Her fangs had disappeared and she looked lovely and innocent, exactly like the Simone he had fallen in love with years ago. “I belong to him now.”
Before Slade could stop her, Simone had turnedand plunged into the wall of fire. Slade ran after her, tried to reach her, tried to draw her back. The pain in his seared hands was nothing compared to the torment in his heart. Before his very eyes, he saw Simone’s gossamer gown erupt in flames, but somehow she continued through the blaze, trying in vain to reach D’Angelo’s outstretched arms.
“Slade!” D’Angelo screamed, his own flesh blazing as he clutched Simone in his arms. “I’ll see you in hell, Slade!”
Whether from the burns on his hands or from Simone’s last deadly kiss, Slade never knew, but he blacked out then. When he came to, he found himself outside on the grass as the mansion blazed like a gigantic torch in the night. Lying there watching the fire, Slade felt his world turn to ashes around him.
When it was all over, nothing remained but Slade’s guilt and the endless questions he’d had to face from the department. What was he doing at D’Angelo’s mansion? How did he know the man? Did he go there with the intent to harm him?
The questions very nearly ended Slade’s career with the force because he couldn’t answer them. How could he? How could he make people believe what he still couldn’t understand himself? If not for Simone’s father, the police commissioner, Slade’s career would have been finished.
But the commissioner had witnessed the changes in his daughter. Convinced
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