Vampire’s Dilemma. Penny Ash
Werewolves, yes. This is why they’ve kept the book hidden. And why Madeline wanted it back. She was a cruel and capricious tyrant. Madeline treated the Werewolves badly. When it came back into their hands they hid it. They’ve watched Isabel’s descendants ever since then to be sure none of them found the book. I don’t know how they missed you.”
Lucy began to understand why her mother had always been so strict. “We never had much to do with the family. After my father died Mama kept me away from them…” She shivered.
“Lucy…” He sounded pained.
Lucy pressed her lips together. There was more. She heard it in his voice. “There’s more, isn’t there. Something you’re not telling me.”
Shel nodded. “When she eased the curse Isabel told me only true love would break it.”
Cold washed over Lucy. She glanced at Shel. He started straight ahead, a wooden expression on his face.
“You’re still a Vampire. You think the curse is tied up with the book somehow. You think I could control you with this book.” Lucy felt ill.
“Yes. If you wished.”
Lucy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We have to get the book and destroy it.”
“When you get the book they won’t be happy about it. They’ll try to get it back.”
“I’m not Isabel. Or Madeline, either. I didn’t ask for this.” She shivered again. Shel was the only good thing in this whole mess. Lucy wanted nothing more than to stay on the boat with Shel and make love for the rest of her life. Suddenly, Lucy knew what she had to do. She told him. Shel began to smile.
* * * *
Shel saw the bus station ahead. He knew Lucy meant well but the need to warn her again refused to go away. It took all his willpower to speak. “There is always a cost to these things. The price for the book might be too steep.”
“I have to try,” Lucy said, just as he knew she would.
* * * *
The station was new, modern yet shabby from use. Lucy laced her fingers through Shel’s. Together they walked toward the lockers, searching for the one the key fit. Lucy found the nondescript square door and opened it. Inside lay an old battered book about the size of a thin paperback. She picked it up and looked at Sheldon for a moment before slipping it into her purse. Without a word, they left the station to do what was necessary.
Lucy passed the car in front of them and picked up speed. “We’re being followed.”
Shel shook his head tiredly. “Damn. I was afraid of this. Try and lose them.”
Lucy nodded and threaded her way through traffic. She took the first exit and doubled back. Shel directed her down a few side streets until they came back to the freeway.
“If we go back to the boat they’ll catch us. Keep driving. We can rent a boat when we get to the Key.” Shel smiled. “You can do what you need to when we get to the Island.”
Chapter Fourteen: My Immortal
The small brown leather bound folio looked too ordinary to have caused so much trouble. Lucy opened it and turned a few pages. Madeline had written in this book, decrees and laws for the society of Vampires and Werewolves, sentences of death for some, good fortune for others. The woman had wielded and abused her power over others for many years. So much suffering and death. She wanted none of it. Lucy was not Isabel. It was time they all learned that.
Slowly she began to tear the page from the binding. The words seemed to writhe on the page she held. Lucy’s scalp prickled. A sudden gust of wind flipped the half-removed page she held from her fingers. Lucy jerked her fingers away as the book closed with a vicious snap. She frowned at it for a moment then opened it again. Grasping the torn page, Lucy took a deep breath and yanked. The page came out of the book with a sound like a scream. Lucy tossed it into the fire.
A strong breeze had sprung up, the sky darkening with storm clouds as several more pages followed.
Shel gasped harshly. Lucy turned toward the man she loved. On his hands and knees in the sand, he retched. Lucy went to kneel beside him, dropping the book.
He waved her away. “No, don’t stop, destroy it.”
Lucy nodded. She picked up the book and stood. It resisted when she tried to open it. Digging her fingernails under the flap of the cover, Lucy pried it up. Thunder cracked as she began to feed more pages into the fire.
The flames burned steady despite the growing wind. With each page, their color began to shift from orange to green. Lucy tossed another page into the flames. Lightning flashed, striking the sand all around them, the thunder drowning out the sound of the waves. Shel staggered to his feet at the edge of the firelight.
* * * *
Shel’s body moved under the control of the book. He stood and faced Lucy. He fought to keep his arms from reaching for her. The sound of Isabel’s shrieks on the wind rang in Shel’s ears. Lucy stood before him unmoving. The wind whipped her hair into writhing tendrils that seemed to merge with the lightning. “Run,” Shel gasped out, clenching his trembling hands into fists.
“Sheldon…” Lucy’s voice mingled with Isabel’s. Suddenly he was back in Isabel’s boudoir where it all began and Shel knew he would kill Lucy just as he had killed Isabel. He would not be able to stop it. Shel’s eyes stung with unshed tears. Despair made Shel’s heart tighten. He couldn’t go through this again.
Shel closed his eyes tight against the sight of Lucy’s thin red dress plastered against her body by the wind. Memories hammered at Shel. Lust and need raged in him. Slowly Shel’s fingers unclenched, uncurling one at a time, as his arms rose again. Shel groaned, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. “The stake.” He forced the words past his clenched teeth. “Get it.”
“Shel…”
“Dammit, Lucy! You’ve got to.” Shel forced his arms around himself and tried to turn away. “Don’t let me kill you. Don’t make me live with that.”
* * * *
“Please, Lucy. If you love me, kill me. Now.” Shel took a jerky step forward, like a puppet pulled by a violent puppet master.
As Shel moved closer Lucy edged away, keeping the fire between them. She grasped several pages and ripped. Shel winced, his teeth bared in a grimace of pain. Somehow, the book was using Shel, forcing him to attack her. His eyes glowed, reflecting the firelight. Lucy shivered. Fear turned her blood icy, urging her to drop the book and run.
Lucy started to back up a step then stopped. This was the man she loved. She would not run. Lucy stepped around the fire toward him. “You said you love me. I believe that. You won’t hurt me.” She pulled the last pages from the book and let them fall into the flames.
Shel made a soft mewling sound of distress. “No, please, I can’t control myself much longer.”
Slowly Lucy reached up with one hand and untied the strap of her dress. Switching the book to her other hand Lucy gave the other strap a tug. The dress fell to the sand. She stepped free of the material and held out her arms.
An anguished moan escaped Shel as his control broke. He growled, lunging at Lucy, fangs glistening. Lucy caught Shel, wrapped one arm around him, holding him tight to her. She tilted her head, allowing Shel access to the side of her neck. His teeth grazed her skin sending goosebumps over her body.
The gale shrieked and howled around them. Lucy didn’t want the power the book held. All she wanted was Sheldon Jefferson and the love he had for her. Desire filled Lucy. At the prick of Shel’s fangs she dropped what remained of the book into the fire and drew Shel down to the sand with her. The old leather blackened, and then caught in a shower of green sparks.
Shel moved over her, desperation in his touch. His mouth on her neck burned, branding her as his. The thunder and shrieking wind faded, replaced