Immortal Sins

Rising, she went to the window and stared out into the darkness. She was still debating the wisdom of going out alone when Rourke appeared.

Kari pressed a hand to her heart when she turned away from the window and saw him standing there, looking as tall and gorgeous as always.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to your popping in and out like that," she muttered.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you."

Her gaze moved over him. "I see you made it through the X-ray machine all right."

He frowned. "X-ray?"

She nodded, wondering how to explain it, and then decided not to try. "So, what now?"

"Later tonight I will go to the museum that houses the painting and look around. Tomorrow night, I will free Ana Luisa and bring her here. Perhaps you can explain the new world to her...."

"Oh, right, that should be a cinch!"

"Perhaps not as difficult as you expect."

Kari lifted her brows in an "oh, sure" gesture but said nothing. She wasn't looking forward to staying cooped up with a witch who had spent the last three hundred years trapped inside a painting!

"I am going for a walk through the city," Rourke said. "Would you like to come with me?"

Kari had been nervous about wandering around by herself, so she jumped at the chance to go exploring with Rourke. Grabbing a jacket and her handbag, she followed him out the door.

They walked in silence for a time. It was a lovely night, cool and clear, beneath a black velvet sky crowded with stars. Kari slid a glance at Rourke, wondering if he had dined on one of the residents of the city.

As though sensing her thoughts, he looked at her and smiled. His teeth were very white in the darkness. "I took only a little."

Kari felt her cheeks grow hot. It was disconcerting knowing he could read her thoughts. She looked up at him and frowned, remembering how she had heard his voice in her mind when she was on the plane.

"How did you do that?" she asked. "Talk to me when you were in the cargo hold?"

"I felt your fear and I simply spoke to your mind."

"But I felt your hand on mine." She shook her head. She could accept that he could read her thoughts. Many people claimed to be able to read minds. But to actually feel his hand on hers? "How did you do that?"

"I have many supernatural abilities. I have tasted your blood, and it has formed a mental bond between us."

Kari nodded, though she didn't really understand. The city was pretty by night. When they passed an old church, she glanced at Rourke, wondering if he could go inside or if he would go up in smoke if he crossed the threshold.

Her stomach growled when they passed a cafe. Backtracking, she went inside and Rourke followed her. She ordered soup, a sandwich, and a cup of coffee. As usual, he ordered a glass of red wine.

It was pleasant sitting outside under the stars. Kari grinned inwardly. Never in a million years would she have expected to find herself in Romania with an actual vampire!

"I really wanted to see Bran Castle," Kari remarked when she finished eating, "but I won't have time now."

"It is a beautiful place."

"You've been there?"

He grinned. "Of course. How could I not go?"

"Right. You didn't know Vlad Dracula, did you?"

"I doubt that anyone really knew him. But I was acquainted with him."

Kari stared at him, awed and repulsed at the same time. "Are all those horrible stories about him true?"

"I cannot speak for all of them, but he was a harsh, cruel man to those he considered his enemies. That much is true. If you still wish to see the castle, I will take you there."

"Isn't it closed?"

He shrugged. "What are locks to me?"

"But..."

"Come." He took her hand and led her away from the lights of the city. "Hold on to me," he said. "And do not be afraid."

"What are you going to do?"

"Take you to the castle."

She looked at him suspiciously. "How are we going to get there?"

"You will see. Hold on now."

Before she could argue further, they were...she didn't know what they were doing. Sight and sound were lost to her and there was only a growing coldness and the sensation of moving rapidly through the night.

When the world slowed, they were standing in the castle courtyard. "How did you do that?" she gasped. "Wait...don't tell me. More vampire magic."

"Yes. Vampires are capable of moving faster than the human eye can follow. And now, here we are. You see that fountain, there?" he asked. "It conceals a labyrinth of tunnels."

"I suppose you've seen them, too?"

"Of course, but we will not go there."

"Good!"

Rourke worked a bit of vampire magic on the castle door and Kari found herself inside the citadel. Rourke found a candle to light their way. It was an amazing place, she thought, especially in the warm glow of candlelight.

She loved the arched ceilings in some of the rooms, the fairy-tale atmosphere that came from the mixture of Renaissance, Romance, and Gothic styles. She didn't know which room she liked the most. Queen Marie's bedroom was lovely, with its baroque rosewood bed. There were a desk and a couple of beautiful carved chairs, a long table covered in a tapestry, a vase of flowers, paintings on the walls. Then there was Queen Marie's library, with its paneled walls, dark floors, and comfortable-looking furniture. The shelves that lined the walls held plates, vases, and pitchers. She wasn't surprised to see a deer head and horns on the walls of the hunting trophies hall, or the bearskin rug on the floor. There was a council hall, a dining room decorated with large, dark furniture. The music room had carpets and another bearskin rug, a ceiling with dark wooden beams, comfortable-looking furniture, and a line of beautiful windows. All the rooms were lovely and beautifully decorated.

Outside again, they stood in the courtyard.

"Thank you for the tour," Kari said. "It was wonderful."

He inclined his head. "My pleasure."

"Do you suppose Dracula really stayed here?"

Rourke shrugged. "Who can say?"

Kari blew out a sigh, and then she grinned. "Well, there's a real vampire here now."

"Indeed." Rourke smiled at her, and then his gaze dropped to her throat, and the pulse beating there. An indrawn breath carried the fragrance of her hair and skin, the tantalizing scent of her life's blood. She was pure temptation wrapped in sweet mortal flesh. He clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her when he wanted nothing more than to brush her hair away from her neck and drink and drink until he was filled with her warmth, her very essence.