As Twilight Falls

“I should have seen this coming.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“What do you mean?”

“They’ve been prisoners here a long time. They haven’t had to think for themselves. Everything has been provided. The thought of being on her own, having to look after herself . . .” He shrugged. “It was probably more than she could handle.”

“But she wasn’t going to be alone,” Kadie said. “She seemed happy to be staying here with Rosemary and the others.”

“Well, apparently she wasn’t. I’ll bury her tonight.”

“I want to be there. And I know the others will, too.”

An hour later, Kadie stood beside Brittany’s grave with Donna, Shirley, and Rosemary. Rosemary had dressed Brittany in her favorite lavender skirt and sweater, applied a bit of makeup, brushed her hair. Saintcrow had provided a gleaming white casket. Kadie was afraid to ask where it came from, but couldn’t help wondering if he’d kept a spare somewhere in the house.

Kadie bowed her head and closed her eyes as Shirley began to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Then, curious to see how Saintcrow reacted when someone prayed, Kadie opened her eyes, let out a cry of alarm when Rosemary pulled a wooden stake from inside her coat.

Shrieking, “This is all your fault!” Rosemary lunged toward Saintcrow, murder in her eyes.

Fangs bared, his eyes blazing red, he sidestepped deftly and plucked the stake from her hand.

Coming up short, Rosemary stared at him, all the color draining from her face.

Donna and Shirley had looked up in time to see Saintcrow snatch the stake from Rosemary’s hand. Now, hugging each other, they stared at Rosemary as if seeing her for the first time.

With a hiss, Saintcrow reached for his attacker.

“No!” Without thinking of her own peril, Kadie darted between them. “Rylan, don’t hurt her!” She laid her hand on his arm. “Please.”

He glowered at her for several taut moments, then vanished from sight.

Kadie put her arms around Rosemary. “Are you all right?”

“I wish I’d killed him.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“How can you stay with him?” Rosemary pushed Kadie away. “I don’t understand how you can endure being around him. Did you see his face? He’s a monster, Kadie. Mark my words. You’ll rue the day if you go with him.”

Kadie glanced at Donna and Shirley. From their expressions, she could see that they felt the same.

“I’ll drive you back to town,” Kadie said stiffly. If it hadn’t been such a long walk, and in the dark, she was certain they all would have refused. As it was, Rosemary climbed into the backseat with Shirley, leaving Donna to take the passenger seat.

No one spoke on the way back.

Kadie parked in front of Donna’s house, but left the engine running. “The barrier will be down in the morning. Your cars will all have a tank full of gas. You’ll find cell phones and some cash waiting for you, courtesy of the monster,” she said, her voice tight. “Good-bye.”

She kept her eyes straight ahead as the women got out of the car. As soon as the doors were closed, she sped away.

She didn’t look back.

Kadie’s steps were dragging when she climbed the stairs to Saintcrow’s house. She had expected to find him waiting for her in the living room, but the house was dark and he was nowhere to be seen.

Switching on the light, she sank down on the sofa and closed her eyes. She hadn’t had time to really get to know the women in town, or to develop deep, lasting friendships, the kind that took years, but she hadn’t expected them to turn on her like that. And yet, how could she have expected them to do otherwise? They had been prisoners in Morgan Creek for years. Heaven knew they had ample reason to hate the vampires, and Saintcrow most of all, for treating them so callously.

Was Rosemary right? Was she crazy to stay with Saintcrow? To trust him?

“Having second thoughts?”

Kadie bolted upright at the sound of his voice. Standing, he towered over her, tall and dark, his power a tangible presence in the room. She stared up at him. He looked as he always did, but in her mind’s eye she saw him as he had been earlier, his fangs bared, his eyes red as hellfire. Would he have killed Rosemary if she hadn’t stopped him? Would he have killed them all?

“Not that I’d blame you.” He sat at the other end of the sofa, careful not to touch her. “Kadie?”

“They hate me,” she said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I thought they were my friends, but they hate me.”

“It’s my fault, not yours. So, where does that leave us?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a suite waiting for us at the best hotel in London. Do we go, or do we stay here?”

“I want to go home.” She held up her hand, afraid to hear what he was going to say. “I want to see my parents. I miss them. I’ll come back. I promise. I just need to see them for a little while.” And Kathy, she thought. She needed to see her sister. “Don’t you trust me?”

He snorted softly. “Should I?”

Strangely hurt, she said, “I thought you already did.”

“Why have you never told me about your sister?”

“You know about Kathy?” she asked, then wondered why she was so surprised.

He nodded. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?”

“I’m not sure. I thought about it, thinking it might convince you to let me go. But then . . .”

“You were afraid you’d hate me if I refused and she died while you were here.”

She nodded.

“I wouldn’t have let you go,” he said. “But I would have taken you home.”

“Will you take me now?”

“If you wish.”

“Would you do one more thing for me?”

He waited, knowing what was coming.

“Let Rosemary and Donna and Shirley keep their memories.”

“We’ve already talked about this.”

“I know, but I can’t believe that the three of them are any danger to you. I think you’re wrong. I don’t think they’ll ever leave here. And what if some of the vampires come back? If you erase their memories, they won’t know they’re in danger until it’s too late. Please, Rylan.”

It was the sweet entreaty of his name on her lips that was his undoing. “All right, Kadie. You win.” It was a risk, letting the women keep their memories. But not too big a risk, as long as they stayed in Morgan Creek. And he’d make sure of that before he left.