As Twilight Falls

Kadie woke to the heavenly smell of coffee brewing. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. It was good to be home, to sleep in her own bed. For years, she had considered getting a place of her own. She was certainly old enough. She could afford it. But she was home so seldom, it just didn't seem worth it. She thought fleetingly of Saintcrow's house . . . and bolted upright.

Where was he? Where had he spent the night?

With a sigh, she flopped back on the pillows. Why was she worrying about him? He was a big boy. He'd been taking care of himself for over nine hundred years.

The promise of fresh, hot coffee drew her to the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine," her mother said.

"Hi, Mom. Dad."

"Mornin', pumpkin. Good to have you home again," her father said. "How long are you staying this time?"

"I'm not sure." Kadie poured herself a cup of coffee, then sat at the table, thinking again how good it felt to be back home.

Minutes later, her mother placed a platter of French toast and bacon on the table.

"Should we wait for your friend?" her mother asked.

"No. Rylan's gone for the day. Business of some kind."

Her father nodded. "Right."

Kadie looked at him sharply, wondering at his skeptical tone. "He'll be back tonight, probably after dinner."

Her father grunted thoughtfully.

Kadie frowned. If she didn't know better, she would have thought her father suspected something.

Later, sitting out on the patio doing her nails, she wondered how Donna, Shirley, and Rosemary were getting along. Had they stayed in Morgan Creek, or had Brittany's death soured them on the idea? She wondered how Marti was doing, and if Chelsea had found it hard to settle back into life at home, and if Jeremy had stayed with Chelsea, and if Frankie and Claude were having a good time in Hawaii. And then she wondered about the vampires. Had they stayed together? Where were they now? Were they enjoying their freedom, or wishing they had stayed in Morgan Creek, where it was safe?

She looked up, smiling, when her mother pulled a chair up beside her and sat down.

"You seem lost in thought," Mrs. Andrews remarked. "Anything you want to share?"

"No, I was just thinking about some of the strange stories I heard while I was traveling," Kadie said, choosing her words carefully.

"What kinds of strange stories?"

"Oh, you know. Tales of ghosts and things that go bump in the night. I guess it's really not all that unusual, considering where my work takes me. But then I heard someone say vampires were real, and . . ."

"Vampires?" Mrs. Andrews laughed. "Kadie, really."

"And they said there were vampire hunters."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

Kadie nodded. "I remember reading something about vampires in the paper years ago, but I didn't pay much attention. I mean, who believes in vampires?"

"Well, there are always stories," Mrs. Andrews said, her brow furrowing. "But no one's ever proved they exist. Why, just day before yesterday there was a story on the news about a body being found drained of blood in the alley behind Kitner Road. But your father saw the body and told me the report had been exaggerated."

"Well, that's a relief."

"Yes, indeed. So, tell me about your young man."

Kadie grinned inwardly, thinking that her "young" man hadn't been young in centuries. "He's just a guy I met. We sort of hit it off and when he asked me to go to England with him, I said I would. I'm due for a vacation."

"He seems very nice, and I know you've been making your own decisions for years, but, Kadie, do you think it's wise to go off with a man you've known such a short time?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," Kadie said, reaching over to give her mom's hand a squeeze. "I've been with Rylan for several weeks." And she knew him in ways her mother would surely frown on.

After lunch, Kadie and her mother drove to the hospital to see Kathy. It broke Kadie's heart to see her little sister looking so thin and pale.

She pasted a smile on her face as she hurried to her sister's bedside and gave her a hug. "How's my angel?"

"Kadie! I'm so glad to see you."

"I missed you, too." Reaching into her bag, Kadie pulled out a beribboned package. "Here you go," she said. "A souvenir from Wyoming, as promised."

"You didn't forget!" Kathy quickly tore off the wrappings, opened the box, and pulled out a porcelain doll dressed in the garb of a Cheyenne bride. "I love her!" she exclaimed. "Thank you!"

While Kathy admired her new doll, Kadie looked up and met her mother's tear-filled eyes and knew, in that moment, that Kathy's days were numbered.

It was near dark when Kadie and her mother headed home from the hospital. Kadie's father was sitting on the front porch, reading one of his medical journals, when Kadie and her mother arrived.

Dinner passed congenially. Sitting at the table, her father told them about his day at the hospital. They had just finished dessert when the doorbell rang.

"I suspect that will be your young man," Kadie's mother said. "You go entertain him. Dad can help me with the dishes."

"Thanks, Mom!" Kadie jumped up, her heart beating with anticipation as she ran to open the door.

"You're still here," Saintcrow remarked, sounding surprised.

"Did you think I'd run off? What would be the point if you can find me?"

He smiled as he drew her into his arms and kissed her. "Am I interrupting anything?" he asked, his breath warm against her ear.

"No. We just finished dinner." There was something different about him, Kadie thought, though she couldn't say what it was. Shrugging the thought aside, she took him by the hand and led the way into the living room. Sitting on the sofa, she patted the cushion beside her. "So," she asked, eyes twinkling, "did you sleep well?"

"Like the dead," he replied, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too." His gaze rested on her lips. "How much longer do you want to stay here?"

"At least a few more days," she said, thinking about her sister. "You're ready to leave, aren't you?"

"The sooner, the better." His fingertips stroked her arm. "I want you all to myself."

"After we go to England, will we come back here?"

"I don't think so."

Before Kadie could ask where else he wanted to go, her father came into the room.

Dr. Andrews settled down in his easy chair, his gaze resting speculatively on Saintcrow. "How was your day?" he asked.

Saintcrow shrugged. "Quiet."

Dr. Andrews grinned wryly. "I thought it might be. So, Kadie, your mom tells me you were asking about vampires."

Kadie slid a glance at Saintcrow, then said, "It was nothing. Just some idle gossip I overheard."

"I don't want you upsetting your mother with that kind of talk."

Kadie nodded. Was she imagining things, or was there some silent communication going on between her father and Saintcrow? There was definitely an air of tension in the room that hadn't been there before her father arrived. What did it mean?

"Kadie, I'd love a cup of coffee," Dr. Andrews said. "And ask your mother if there's any of that pie left."

When Kadie left the room, Dr. Andrews leaned forward. "A man was killed here night before last. Drained of blood and tossed in a trash bin."

"I wasn't here night before last," Saintcrow said.

"This is the third death in the last week."

"And?"

Andrews drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I can't find the killer."

"What do you want me to do, find him for you?"

"That's exactly what I want."

Saintcrow snorted. "You're the hunter, not me."

"Dammit, I need your help." Andrews jumped out of his chair and began to pace the floor. "If he isn't stopped, he'll kill again."

"Probably."

Andrews glared at him. "And you don't give a damn, do you?"

Saintcrow blew out a sigh. That was the trouble. He did care. But hunting his own kind . . . That left a bad taste in his mouth. He looked up as Kadie and her mother entered the room. This wasn't his town, but a vampire who killed so often and didn't dispose of his kills was a danger to everyone. Sliding a glance at Andrews, he said, "I'll see what I can do."

It was with some surprise that Saintcrow found himself driving along a narrow road with Kadie's father later that night. They were about two miles out of town when Andrews slowed the car.

"This is where we found the first body," the doctor said, pointing to a culvert. "The man was a transient. We're still waiting for some ID."

Saintcrow sniffed the air. The vampire's scent was faint, but he'd know it if he smelled it again.

The second body had been found in an abandoned warehouse. "Jack Wheldon," Andrews said. "He was the general manager of the First National Bank."

The third body had been found in a Dumpster in an alley.

"The same vampire killed them all," Saintcrow said.

"How can you be sure?"

"His scent. It's the same at all three sites."

"Can you follow it back to his lair?"

"Why? Are you going to try to destroy him tonight?"

"Are you crazy? I'll do it tomorrow, when the sun's up."

"And take his blood?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Andrews asked, his voice curt.

"Actually, I do, but I can live with it."

"Let's go then."

Saintcrow leaned back as Andrews drove back toward the city. They hadn't gone far when Saintcrow said, "Pull over."

Andrews parked on the side of the road, then peered out the window at the abandoned building situated on a patch of barren ground. "You think he's in there?"

Saintcrow nodded.

"Doesn't seem very secure to me," the doctor remarked, frowning.

Saintcrow shrugged one shoulder. "It's concrete and steel. I imagine he's figured out a way to lock it from the inside when he's at rest."

"No doubt," Andrews agreed.

"Well, I'm outta here," Saintcrow said, opening the car door. "The rest is up to you."

"Where are you going?"

"I found the vampire for you. Now I need to find a human for me," he said, and vanished into the darkness.

Later, after satisfying his thirst, he began to feel guilty about leading Andrews to the vampire's lair. He thought about it for a few minutes, then returned to the lair of the other vampire. A single breath told him the killer Andrews was hunting was still inside.

Saintcrow hesitated a moment, then rapped on the door. "Hey, come on out."

The door creaked open and Saintcrow found himself face-to-face with a tall, dark-haired young man. A fledgling.

"Who are you?" the vampire demanded, his tone surly. "What are you doing here?"

"Maybe saving your life."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You might want to clean up your act. Those dead bodies you've left lying around are attracting attention from the local hunters."

The fledgling snorted disdainfully. "Let 'em come."

Saintcrow frowned. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"I meant how long have you been a vampire?"

"Oh. I don't know. A couple of days. A week. Time has no meaning anymore."

"What's your name?"

"Micah Ravenwood."

"Where's your master?"

"I don't have a master. Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Saintcrow."

Ravenwood's eyes widened. "Rylan Saintcrow?" He hissed a curse.

"You've heard of me?"

"Yeah. The creature who turned me, she mentioned you."

Saintcrow lifted one brow. "What was her name?"

"Lilith."

Now it was Saintcrow's turn to swear. "She's here?" The vampire community wasn't small, so the chances of meeting another vampire who knew Lilith seemed like more than coincidence

"No. I was doing a shoot in Cody, Wyoming."

"You're an actor?"

"I wanted to be. I'd just scored my first speaking role."

"And your last."

"Yeah."

"So, where'd you meet Lilith?"

"At a singles' bar in Cody."

"Go on."

"There's nothing more to tell." Ravenwood looked away, hands clenched at his sides.

"You're lying. She seduced you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she took me into this big house and one thing led to another. At first, it was . . . nice, but then . . ."

"Go on."

"She humiliated me in ways I'd rather not repeat. Made me do things . . . When I woke up the next night, she was gone, and I was . . . hungry." Ravenwood's gaze slid away from Saintcrow's. "I think I went a little crazy."

Saintcrow swore under his breath. It wasn't uncommon for untutored fledglings to go on a killing spree. "So, Lilith turned you and left you there without telling you anything?"

"What's to tell? I'm a bloodsucker now. A monster. If I ever see her again, I'll kill her."

"Not if I see her first. Are you thinking about staying here in Morro Bay?"

"Yeah. I can't go back home. I've never been to California before, so I figured, what the hell. I might even take up night surfing."

"If you're planning to hang around, you'll need to find a new lair before sunrise."

"Why? What's wrong with the one I have?"

"One of the hunters I mentioned, he knows where you take your rest."

"How the hell does he know that?"

"Because I told him where to find you."

"What?" Hands clenched, Ravenwood took a menacing step forward, his eyes blazing red. "Why the hell did you do that?"

Knowing the other vampire would be able to feel it, Saintcrow gathered his power around him. "If you attack me, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Ravenwood backed up a step. He might have been a new vampire, but he wasn't a fool.

"There's a little bar on the corner of Ninth Street," Saintcrow said. "Meet me out back tomorrow after midnight and I'll answer any questions you have about your new lifestyle."

"I'll be there."

"Remember what I said about a new lair. It'll be dawn soon."

With a curt nod, Ravenwood took off.

Saintcrow stood there a moment, considering what Ravenwood had said about Lilith. One way or another, she had to be stopped.

It hadn't taken her long to sire a new vampire. Had she made more? And if so, why? And what about the others? Had they stayed in Wyoming? Were they all out kicking up their heels, preying on unwary humans, making fledglings, and abandoning them without telling them what they needed to know to survive?

Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, Saintcrow headed back toward the Andrewses' house. Fledglings were notoriously unpredictable, he thought as he turned the corner onto Kadie's street. Had he made a mistake in warning the other vampire?

And then there was Kadie's father. Saintcrow shook his head. Of all the luck, falling in love with the daughter of a hunter. Once again, it occurred to him that fate was likely having a good laugh at his expense.

He was a block from Kadie's house when he heard muted footsteps easing up behind him. Damn! Either Andrews had lied to him or the man was ignorant of the fact that he wasn't the only hunter in town.

The hunter's heartbeat increased as his footsteps drew nearer. Saintcrow could smell his excitement. The blood rushing through the hunter's veins teased Saintcrow's hunger and only the fact that this was Kadie's town kept him from grabbing the man and taking him down. He rarely took a life these days, but turnabout was fair play.

Instead, he let the hunter creep up on him, then grabbed the guy by the throat and shoved him against a cinderblock wall. "You lookin' for me?"

The man glared at him but said nothing. He was of medium height with sloping shoulders and a barrel chest.

Most vampire hunters were born with an extra gene passed from father to son that gave them the ability to recognize vampires. It was, Saintcrow thought, nature's way of keeping a balance between good and evil.

Saintcrow relieved him of three wooden stakes, which he broke in half and tossed into the bushes alongside the wall before emptying a vial of holy water. When that was done, he captured the man's gaze with his.

Looking deep into his eyes, he said, "You won't hunt any more vampires. From now on, the thought of doing violence, the sight of any blood but your own, will make you violently ill. If anyone questions you, you won't remember me or this conversation. You understand?"

The hunter nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Brian Kirk."

"All right, Kirk," Saintcrow said, giving him a push. "Get the hell out of here."

With a nod, the hunter hurried back the way he'd come. Saintcrow stared after the man, thinking he probably hadn't seen the last of the hunters in this town.