got to him.”
Kela closed her eyes, seeing Roland before his transformation. She tensed. Had their happiness just been an illusion?
Ansara rubbed her shoulder and she instantly relaxed.
“He was a promising artist. A few months ago he met a gallery owner, Andre Karr.” She explained how flattered Roland had been by Karr’s patronage. “He moved out of the house we shared to live in Karr’s building. I wish the two had never met. I never liked Karr. He gave me the creeps.”
“Roland had a different reaction?”
“The opposite reaction. He was drawn to Karr and his paintings began to sell. Roland started calling himself only by his last name, his artist name, Chabeau. The last time we were together I realized he had changed in personality and in looks. His skin was cold and bone white. I thought he had bought into the persona of the cool, urban artist. I had no idea he was a vampire. I didn’t think they existed.”
Kela shuddered at the memory of the last evening she spent with Roland. “I had sex with a vampire. And to think Roland wanted me to give him my cross.”
“Roland asked for the cross?”
Kela sipped her coffee, then continued.
“Karr admired my cross. Roland wanted me to give the cross to Karr for his birthday. Like I’d ever part with it.”
“Had Roland shown any interest in the cross before meeting Karr?”
“None. He thought of it as jewelry, but he knew what it meant to me.”
“When did you find out Roland was a vampire?”
“A few weeks ago, I saw him with a woman in the parking lot of the Devil’s Warehouse. I watched them have sex, very aggressive sex right there in the club’s parking lot, going at it against a luxury sedan. I was so angry I got out of my car, ready to tell him off. Then I saw the woman go limp in his arms. Roland picked her up and dumped her onto the front seat of the vehicle.
“I yelled at him. When he looked at me, I was shocked. He had blood running down his chin. His eyes were red and he hissed at me. That was the first time I saw his fangs. I was so stunned I just stood there as he got into his vehicle and drove away.”
She finished her coffee and set aside the cup.
“The following day a woman’s body was found dumped in a local park. I called the police. I told a detective that Roland was a vampire and he was responsible for the woman’s death. He thought I was just a crazy angry bitch who had been dumped by her fiancé. Roland’s been killing ever since.”
“Do you love him?”
She shook her head. “The man I loved is gone. I know what Roland is and I have to stop him.”
“ We have to stop him.”
“I hope you have a plan because I think Roland wants me dead.”
“I think Vakkar has taken over Karr’s body and he’s using Roland to get your cross.”
She touched the ornate cross dangling between her breasts. “What’s so important about my cross?”
Ansara set his coffee aside. He leaned down and kissed her left breast, then he kissed the cross. The stone glowed blood red.
“You made the ruby glow with your magic?”
“It’s a Thasian cross and that’s not a ruby. The blood of a fallen warrior is dropped into the Sacred Fire. A crystal is formed and placed in the center of a cross, powerful magic. Roland’s not strong enough to kill you, but Vakkar is another matter. If he gets possession of the cross, his demon power and his status increase. Even I’ll have a difficult time destroying him.”
“So Karr, I mean Vakkar understands the power of the cross?”
“Vakkar is very familiar with Thasian relics. Have you ever wondered why you haven’t been bitten? Why you haven’t ended up like Roland’s victims? Have you questioned why you’re a vampire hunter?”
“Roland has to be stopped. It’s the right thing.”
“Kela, you’re not a trained soldier and you fight vampires with wooden sticks.”
“Stakes. Sharp stakes. You think the cross is protecting me?”
“What did your father tell you when he
Kela closed her eyes, seeing Roland before his transformation. She tensed. Had their happiness just been an illusion?
Ansara rubbed her shoulder and she instantly relaxed.
“He was a promising artist. A few months ago he met a gallery owner, Andre Karr.” She explained how flattered Roland had been by Karr’s patronage. “He moved out of the house we shared to live in Karr’s building. I wish the two had never met. I never liked Karr. He gave me the creeps.”
“Roland had a different reaction?”
“The opposite reaction. He was drawn to Karr and his paintings began to sell. Roland started calling himself only by his last name, his artist name, Chabeau. The last time we were together I realized he had changed in personality and in looks. His skin was cold and bone white. I thought he had bought into the persona of the cool, urban artist. I had no idea he was a vampire. I didn’t think they existed.”
Kela shuddered at the memory of the last evening she spent with Roland. “I had sex with a vampire. And to think Roland wanted me to give him my cross.”
“Roland asked for the cross?”
Kela sipped her coffee, then continued.
“Karr admired my cross. Roland wanted me to give the cross to Karr for his birthday. Like I’d ever part with it.”
“Had Roland shown any interest in the cross before meeting Karr?”
“None. He thought of it as jewelry, but he knew what it meant to me.”
“When did you find out Roland was a vampire?”
“A few weeks ago, I saw him with a woman in the parking lot of the Devil’s Warehouse. I watched them have sex, very aggressive sex right there in the club’s parking lot, going at it against a luxury sedan. I was so angry I got out of my car, ready to tell him off. Then I saw the woman go limp in his arms. Roland picked her up and dumped her onto the front seat of the vehicle.
“I yelled at him. When he looked at me, I was shocked. He had blood running down his chin. His eyes were red and he hissed at me. That was the first time I saw his fangs. I was so stunned I just stood there as he got into his vehicle and drove away.”
She finished her coffee and set aside the cup.
“The following day a woman’s body was found dumped in a local park. I called the police. I told a detective that Roland was a vampire and he was responsible for the woman’s death. He thought I was just a crazy angry bitch who had been dumped by her fiancé. Roland’s been killing ever since.”
“Do you love him?”
She shook her head. “The man I loved is gone. I know what Roland is and I have to stop him.”
“ We have to stop him.”
“I hope you have a plan because I think Roland wants me dead.”
“I think Vakkar has taken over Karr’s body and he’s using Roland to get your cross.”
She touched the ornate cross dangling between her breasts. “What’s so important about my cross?”
Ansara set his coffee aside. He leaned down and kissed her left breast, then he kissed the cross. The stone glowed blood red.
“You made the ruby glow with your magic?”
“It’s a Thasian cross and that’s not a ruby. The blood of a fallen warrior is dropped into the Sacred Fire. A crystal is formed and placed in the center of a cross, powerful magic. Roland’s not strong enough to kill you, but Vakkar is another matter. If he gets possession of the cross, his demon power and his status increase. Even I’ll have a difficult time destroying him.”
“So Karr, I mean Vakkar understands the power of the cross?”
“Vakkar is very familiar with Thasian relics. Have you ever wondered why you haven’t been bitten? Why you haven’t ended up like Roland’s victims? Have you questioned why you’re a vampire hunter?”
“Roland has to be stopped. It’s the right thing.”
“Kela, you’re not a trained soldier and you fight vampires with wooden sticks.”
“Stakes. Sharp stakes. You think the cross is protecting me?”
“What did your father tell you when he
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