with as much finesse as he could muster. He would soon be a wealthy man and a vampire that resided in one of the oldest cities in the United States .
“Hand over the amulet.”
He turned and spied Drucella within arm’s reach. Glancing to either side, he observed the mass of people that he stood amid on the sidewalk.
Drucella smiled at him, a cunning grin that dimpled her cheeks and narrowed her eyes—pure evil shown from the clear blue depths as she let him know she had caught him at an awkward moment. He couldn’t possibly destroy her with others looking on.
“Perhaps you’d care to join me for a little stroll in the park.” He knew she would refuse him, but caught surrounded by so many patrons from the bar, he had little choice but to be polite. Gall rose up inside him at the prospect of continuing the charade for much longer. He moved to step from the gathering that formed around him when he left the nightclub, and lead Drucella into the shadows, a half smile on his lips.
“I would not. Give me the amulet.”
He shook his head. The amulet hung against his chest, safely inside his new modern-day shirt, out of sight of prying eyes.
“I’ll destroy you, Duella Sutherland.”
“I’m not afraid of your threats, Drucella . You’re wasting your time.”
“Perhaps your new whore should pay for your lack of obedience.”
Duella frowned. “Obedience? To you?”
“You wear the amulet belonging to one of my coven, therefore you are obedient to me.”
“Your coven is no longer. The witches are dead. We’ve discussed this already, Drucella . Be on your way. We have no business.”
She smiled. “I know what you did tonight.”
He glanced around, wondering if the others overheard. It would be his undoing should Drucella reveal anything pertaining to Fred Glasco and his sudden demise. He waved a hand, placing everyone nearby in a trance while he grabbed hold of Drucella’s arm and lifted into the air.
The witch screeched and kicked her feet, trying to free herself.
Duella held her arm in a vice-like grip and soared upward into the darkness. “I’ll be damned if I let you destroy my plan, Drucella !” He flew to the edge of the city, spied a graveyard and lowered their bodies beside a stone mausoleum. Drucella wrenched free once he set her feet on the ground.
She backed away from him and sneered angrily. “You are a fool, Duella . You cannot live here, among the living. You are a creature of the night. You belong with the dead.”
He pulled in a long breath. Upon Drucella’s demise, he would be free to do whatever he desired. He lunged at her, the thought of ending her existence that very moment filling his head. He had allowed her to dictate to him far too long. He caught her around the throat, hauled her against his chest, with all intentions of ripping her neck open and drinking every drop of her blood.
Drucella screeched and vanished into thin air the second his fingers clasped around her neck.
He berated himself for letting her get away again. Why hadn’t he tried a different tactic to annihilate the witch? He combed one hand through his hair, then massaged the back of his neck as he searched the area for signs of Drucella . As before, she had vanished without leaving any trace behind.
Dammit! I’ve just prolonged the agony of not knowing when she will pop up again. He leaned against the stone grave marker and considered Drucella’s quest. Since he had no intention of handing over the amulet to her, he was faced with coming up with another plan to deter her efforts. He thought about the incident at the library earlier that evening. Miriam had been frightened, and he had pushed the matter aside in lieu of finding the business information he had come to collect. Then once Miriam had calmed a bit, she chose to leave altogether. He hadn’t questioned her wanting to leave, assuming that she was still scared by what had happened.
What happened to make Miriam so scared? He loathed the idea of
“Hand over the amulet.”
He turned and spied Drucella within arm’s reach. Glancing to either side, he observed the mass of people that he stood amid on the sidewalk.
Drucella smiled at him, a cunning grin that dimpled her cheeks and narrowed her eyes—pure evil shown from the clear blue depths as she let him know she had caught him at an awkward moment. He couldn’t possibly destroy her with others looking on.
“Perhaps you’d care to join me for a little stroll in the park.” He knew she would refuse him, but caught surrounded by so many patrons from the bar, he had little choice but to be polite. Gall rose up inside him at the prospect of continuing the charade for much longer. He moved to step from the gathering that formed around him when he left the nightclub, and lead Drucella into the shadows, a half smile on his lips.
“I would not. Give me the amulet.”
He shook his head. The amulet hung against his chest, safely inside his new modern-day shirt, out of sight of prying eyes.
“I’ll destroy you, Duella Sutherland.”
“I’m not afraid of your threats, Drucella . You’re wasting your time.”
“Perhaps your new whore should pay for your lack of obedience.”
Duella frowned. “Obedience? To you?”
“You wear the amulet belonging to one of my coven, therefore you are obedient to me.”
“Your coven is no longer. The witches are dead. We’ve discussed this already, Drucella . Be on your way. We have no business.”
She smiled. “I know what you did tonight.”
He glanced around, wondering if the others overheard. It would be his undoing should Drucella reveal anything pertaining to Fred Glasco and his sudden demise. He waved a hand, placing everyone nearby in a trance while he grabbed hold of Drucella’s arm and lifted into the air.
The witch screeched and kicked her feet, trying to free herself.
Duella held her arm in a vice-like grip and soared upward into the darkness. “I’ll be damned if I let you destroy my plan, Drucella !” He flew to the edge of the city, spied a graveyard and lowered their bodies beside a stone mausoleum. Drucella wrenched free once he set her feet on the ground.
She backed away from him and sneered angrily. “You are a fool, Duella . You cannot live here, among the living. You are a creature of the night. You belong with the dead.”
He pulled in a long breath. Upon Drucella’s demise, he would be free to do whatever he desired. He lunged at her, the thought of ending her existence that very moment filling his head. He had allowed her to dictate to him far too long. He caught her around the throat, hauled her against his chest, with all intentions of ripping her neck open and drinking every drop of her blood.
Drucella screeched and vanished into thin air the second his fingers clasped around her neck.
He berated himself for letting her get away again. Why hadn’t he tried a different tactic to annihilate the witch? He combed one hand through his hair, then massaged the back of his neck as he searched the area for signs of Drucella . As before, she had vanished without leaving any trace behind.
Dammit! I’ve just prolonged the agony of not knowing when she will pop up again. He leaned against the stone grave marker and considered Drucella’s quest. Since he had no intention of handing over the amulet to her, he was faced with coming up with another plan to deter her efforts. He thought about the incident at the library earlier that evening. Miriam had been frightened, and he had pushed the matter aside in lieu of finding the business information he had come to collect. Then once Miriam had calmed a bit, she chose to leave altogether. He hadn’t questioned her wanting to leave, assuming that she was still scared by what had happened.
What happened to make Miriam so scared? He loathed the idea of
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