When Rourke took a step toward her, she put her hand out to stop him. "Just leave me alone."
"I only want to help you."
A harsh sound of derision rose in her throat. "You've done enough, thank you very much. Just go away."
"As you wish." Knowing there would be no talking to her until she had calmed down and accepted things the way they were, he left the house.
Kari stood in the kitchen, one hand pressed to her stomach as she listened to the front door open and close.
She was a vampire. No more dark chocolate ice cream or candy. No more salty French fries. No more cheeseburgers smothered in onions. No more spaghetti and crusty garlic bread. No more suntans. No more iced tea on a hot day. No more hot days.... She blinked back her tears. No children. No grandchildren. No anything.
The room seemed to close in around her. Without a thought for where she was going, she left the house, turned left at the end of the driveway, and started walking down the street.
And walked into a whole new world. For a moment, she thought she was in the wrong place. Everything looked different and, yet, oddly the same. Though the sun was down and the world was dark, she could see everything around her. The colors of the houses and flowers and trees were as bright and clear as if the sun were high in the sky.
She heard bits of conversations as she hurried down the sidewalk, even though there was no one else in sight. It took her a moment to realize that what she was hearing were conversations taking place inside the houses that lined the road.
She took a breath and her nostrils filled with dozens of scents.
She slowed when she realized she was nearing Ramon Vega's house. How had she gotten here so fast? He lived on the other side of town.
With a shake of her head, she went up the walkway and knocked on the door.
It opened a moment later. "Karinna!" Ana Luisa exclaimed. "You are free. When...how did this happen?"
"Just tonight." Karinna couldn't help thinking that, clad in a pair of slinky red tights and a white T-shirt, Ana looked trim and happy.
Ana Luisa leaned to one side and glanced past Karinna. "Where is Jason?"
"I don't know. I don't care."
Ana Luisa frowned, then stood aside. "Come in."
Karinna followed her into the living room.
"Hey!" Vega said. "Nice dress."
"What?" Karinna looked down at herself, only then realizing she was still wearing the green gown she had been wearing inside the painting.
Ana Luisa gestured at the sofa. "Please, sit down," she invited, taking a place beside Ramon. "Tell us what happened."
"There's not much to tell." Kari sat down, her fingers pleating the material in her skirt. "Rourke came into the painting somehow. Last night, he made me a vampire. Tonight, the painting broke and"--she shrugged--"here I am."
Vega grunted softly. "So, the spell was broken when you died. Interesting."
Kari looked at Vega. "But I don't want to be a vampire."
"I take it he didn't give you a choice," Vega said.
"He knew I didn't want to be a vampire. I told him as much," Kari said bitterly. "For all the good it did me."
"Would you rather still be trapped inside that horrid painting?" Ana Luisa asked with a shudder.
"Of course not. I asked him to destroy it and me with it."
Ana Luisa's eyes widened. "You wanted him to kill you?"
"Yes. It would have been better than this."
"How can you say that?" Ana sprang to her feet, her hands planted on her hips as she stared down at Karinna. "You are here. You are alive. You are in love with Jason, and he loves you. Why would you rather be dead than spend the rest of your life with the man you love?"
Karinna blinked at the girl.
Vega tugged on Ana Luisa's shirt. "Calm down, chica."
With a huff, she resumed her place beside him.
"It's not all that bad, being a vampire," Vega remarked. "Sure, there are things you can't do, but hey, look at the bright side. You won't grow old. You'll never get sick. Your senses are all enhanced." He smiled at Ana as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "And the lovin' only gets better."
Kari stared at the two of them thinking how perfectly matched they seemed to be and how well they complemented each other.
"I know you both seem to like being vampires, but..." Kari shook her head. "What about the blood?"
Vega shrugged. "You'll get used to it."
Kari glanced at Ana Luisa. "Isn't it disgusting?"
"No, it's quite sweet."
Kari stared at the girl. Blood, sweet? She frowned, surprised that the thought didn't make her sick, and a little disconcerted to find it even sounded...tempting.
"Have you fed since you were turned?" Vega asked.
"No," Kari replied, once again surprised that an idea she had once found completely repulsive now seemed almost...normal.
"You must be hungry," Ana Luisa said matter-of-factly.
Kari nodded, though she was reluctant to admit it.
"Vampires don't normally feed on vampires," Vega said, "but it won't hurt, this once."
"What do you mean?" Kari asked, although she was afraid she knew exactly what he meant.
"I mean if you're hungry, I'm offering."
She stared at him for several seconds, bewildered because the idea, which should have been repugnant, was suddenly vastly appealing. She glanced at Ana Luisa. "You don't mind?"
"As long as you do not make a habit of it," Ana Luisa replied with a grin.
"But..." Kari ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know how."
"It's easy," Vega said, patting the sofa cushion beside him. "Come here."
Sensing Karinna's reluctance to feed with someone else watching, Ana Luisa said, "Please excuse me," and left the room.
Kari hesitated a moment, then went to sit beside Vega. The talk of blood and hunger had awakened something deep inside her. She could feel it stirring, gaining strength. The tips of her fangs brushed against her tongue.
She stared at Vega's neck, and licked her lips. "Won't it hurt you?"
Vega laughed softly. "Not at all. Quite the contrary, actually."
Kari looked at him, uncertain as to what she should do. In the movies, vampires usually bit their prey on the neck. She licked her lips as the urge to feed grew stronger. Should she just grab him and go for it?
"Okay," Vega said. "Here's a quick course in How to Be a Vampire 101. You can take blood from the neck, the wrist, or anywhere else you like. Of course, some places, like the inside of the thigh, are more intimate than others."