Dark and Stormy Read online

  Alucard cleared his throat, but said nothing, content to watch the sun drop below the horizon.

  Guess we were done sharing.

  “So what happened to your sister, then?” I asked several minutes later, hoping to change the subject to something lighter.

  Alucard grunted. “I visited her with Nate a while back. She was running Kansas City.”

  I waited for more. Maybe they had argued and he was still raw over it. “Oh? Not the family reunion ye wanted?” I pressed.

  He smirked absently. “She lost her head. Literally.”

  I blinked, shoulders tensing. When nothing else happened, I finally reached out and patted the Daywalker’s shoulder. “We’re done tellin’ each other stories from now on, aren’t we?”

  Alucard nodded, chuckling darkly. “Oh yeah.”

  Good to know.

  Chapter 8

  Dorian was kind enough to offer us the room we’d stumbled into that afternoon, free of charge.

  “We’ve already changed course,” the immortal said as we toured the lower decks. I ignored the off-putting noises coming from several of the cabins we passed—mainly consisting of techno and grown men giggling—but Dorian’s smirk grew more pronounced, in direct proportion to how wild the sounds were. I could almost imagine him holding up score cards like a judge at the Olympics. “We should have you where you want to be by morning,” he continued. “Ordinarily, the trip would take weeks, but considering the upcoming storm, Narcissus thought it best to speed things along. Fortunately, Zephyrus is a shareholder.”

  “Zephyrus?” Alucard asked, sounding impressed.

  Dorian nodded absently, waving a hand.

  Alucard noticed my confusion, so leaned close enough that I could feel the line of his body against mine, his scent—still citrusy—tickling my nose. “Greek God of the West Wind,” he murmured.

  “Indeed, it just goes to show it helps to have friends in high places, willing to lend a hand from time to time,” Dorian interjected. “Speaking of which, it might be best if you told us what your intentions were. You never did mention why you wanted to go to the Bermuda Triangle in the first place.”

  “You’re right,” Alucard said, thumbs hooked casually in the loops of his jeans. “We didn’t.”

  Dorian pursed his lips at the vampire. “Fine, have it your way.” He slid a keycard in the door and held it open. “Your accommodations await. Let me know if you need anything. And I do mean anything,” he said, licking his lips like he was applying lipstick with his tongue.

  “Ye sure ye don’t have a free room? Or one with a couch?” I asked, peering past Dorian to take in the room with the obscenely large bed.

  “I’m afraid not. In fact, this is technically my room, but I haven’t had an excuse to use it up until now. I have a horrible habit of sleepwalking, I always wake up in the craziest situations…” he trailed off, not a smidge of innocence on his face. “I’m sure you understand.” He winked. “But don’t worry, I’m sure I can find someone who will let me snuggle up.”

  “We weren’t worried,” Alucard muttered.

  “There is a room with a table,” Dorian added, ignoring the vampire, “if you’re looking for something sturdier than a bed…”

  I felt my cheeks redden.

  Alucard sighed. “I don’t believe that’s what the lady meant.”

  Dorian glanced back and forth between the two of us, eyes slowly widening. “Oh, my! I’d simply assumed. Well, as I always say…” The hedonist waved us through. “Adversity makes strange bedfellows.”

  “Pretty sure that was Shakespeare,” Alucard drawled as he slid past the immortal, dumping my duffel and bug-out bag on the bed.

  Dorian sniffed. “Well, anyway. I’ll stop by first thing in the morning. Try not to be too exhausted, I’d hate to have to come in and find a way to wake you both up.”

  I exchanged looks with Alucard. “Ye sure we can’t throw him overboard?”

  Dorian rolled his eyes, passed me the magnetic key card, and stepped away from the door, letting me catch it. “Play nice, you two,” he called out over his shoulder as he strutted down the hallway, the muscles in his bare-naked legs twitching with every step, like a jungle cat. I shivered.

  “It’s a big bed, cher. But I can curl up on the floor, if you’d like. I’ve slept on worse,” Alucard offered, forced to half-sit, half-stand with the bed so close to the door.

  “Oh, aye? Coffins not all they’re cracked up to be, then?” I teased.

  Alucard snorted. “I was never one for coffins. Nah, I meant when I used to sleep in my great-aunt’s basement. Cold, cement floors. Leaky. Creepy. She was a voodoo priestess. Liked to keep things in jars.” The vampire shuddered, then eyed the plush, if threadbare, carpet. “This is definitely a step up.”

  “Are all of your stories awful?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

  Alucard chuckled. “Not lately.” He flashed me a wry smile. “Just wait till I tell the folks back home about this little trip, and how you nearly knocked out Dorian Gray in front of all his fans, not to mention his boyfriend.” He thought about that for a moment. “Well, one of his boyfriends, anyway.”

  I rolled my eyes, then sighed. “Alright, ye win. The bed will be fine for both of us. Just don’t ye go gettin’ any funny ideas about where your hands should be, or I swear I’ll get a pair of handcuffs from Dorian and leave ye in the closet to rot.”

  Alucard raised an eyebrow, but wisely didn’t say a word—not even to crack a joke about coming out of closets.

  Which was almost disappointing, under the circumstances.

  “So which side is yours?” Alucard asked a moment later, staring down at the bed like it had presented him with a math problem.

  “I’m not picky,” I lied. Honestly, I preferred the left side, but it felt weird having this conversation with a man—a vampire—I hardly knew. The bed was huge; there was no sense forcing Alucard to sleep on the floor. But that didn’t mean I felt comfortable divulging my bedtime routines. As far as I was concerned, it was best to get the sleeping part over with and get on with things—we had shit to do tomorrow, after all. I snatched my bug-out bag off the bed without waiting for a response from Alucard, but then hesitated, looking around. “Wait, where’s the bathroom?” I asked.

  Alucard ran a hand through his hair. “Pretty sure it’s a communal bathroom, cher. Seems like the kind of thing Dorian and his posse might prefer.”

  I cursed. Of course it was. I stood there for a minute, indecisively, then pointed at Alucard. “You’re comin’ with me,” I said. I left the room, fully expecting the vampire to follow. It took me a few minutes and a couple wrong turns to find the nearest bathroom. It turned out Alucard was right; the showers were open concept, with a variety of brightly-colored Loofahs hanging from the wall. The bathroom stalls were mercifully private, however, and thankfully none were occupied at the moment. “Alright,” I said, glancing back at the vampire. “Ye keep watch. On this side of the door, ye hear me?”

  Alucard raised his hands in surrender, flashing fang, his eyes dancing with amusement and something else I didn’t want to dwell on. “As you wish,” he purred.

  I huffed and turned, letting the door swing shut behind me.

  Dear God, I needed a shower.

  A cold one.

  I took the left side of the bed, nearest the door. I’d packed light, especially in terms of pajamas, so I opted for a pair of black leggings and a t-shirt that read: Touch Me and Die. One of my favorites. My duffel bag lay on the floor next to the bed, a pistol lying on top in easy reach, just in case. I wasn’t sure who I was preparing to shoot—a handsy Alucard, or anyone who came through that door unannounced—but either way it made me feel better to know the option was there.

  The vampire in question lay on his back on top of the covers as far from me as he could get, arms folded over his chest, fully clothed—honoring my every request with only the faintest hint of amusement. Honestly, he’d proven surprisingly pliant; I hadn’t had to th
reaten him with violence once. Of course, that might have to change if he didn’t wipe that shit-eating grin off his face.

  I knew it was there, even in the dark.

  Still, I couldn’t blame the bastard for finding the situation funny; he had to know that the reason I had so many restrictions in place wasn’t only because I didn’t trust him, but because I didn’t entirely trust myself. Unfortunately, what I’d told Alucard about my former lover had been true; he’d been a real manipulative bloodsucking bastard. Cruel, even. Hell, all I had to do was look down at the scar tissue above my hip joint to remind myself what it had been like to be under his thumb…not to mention his teeth. Ever since then, I’d found vampires physically repulsive.

  Until now.

  The problem was that Alucard—with his base tan, Southern drawl, and impish good looks—wasn’t like any vampire I’d met before or since. It wasn’t simply his strange abilities that appealed to me—the fact that he could survive without draining people and bring me coffee in the morning without dodging windows—although that was part of it. It was the way he handled himself. The fuck-with-me-and-die attitude. I had to admit, if only to myself, that I liked it…that I liked him. A lot.

  But that didn’t change things. He was still an immortal. Still a killer who’d fed off people to survive, even if he didn’t have to any longer. No matter how attracted we were to each other, there was no long-term trajectory for us; not unless I wanted to become a bloodsucker…which I so the fuck did not.

  Some things, sadly, were just never meant to be.

  I sighed and rolled over, giving him my back, trying to ignore the weight of him on the other side of the bed, pulling slightly at the covers. Sleep beckoned, offering me a temporary reprieve from Alucard and the problem he presented. And so I went to her, gladly.

  Chapter 9

  I dreamt.

  An old, broken man lay on his side, only his back visible in the dim light that wafted in through a small, barred window. The cell was made of stone, and it was cold; the man shivered so violently it looked like he was having a seizure, his breath pluming. Scars in various stages of healing littered his back and shoulders. His head was shaved, messily, leaving patches here and there. He kept muttering something, over and over, his voice too soft to make out. A woman came into view, her long blonde hair matted with dried blood, hanging down to the small of her back, wearing a thick cotton shift, her once-muscular body now frightfully thin. She rested a hand on the man’s head and whispered soothing words.

  A raven cawed, poking its head through the bars, and the light in the window dimmed further. The woman glanced up and smiled, her eyes still fierce, still proud, despite her sallow cheeks and missing teeth. “They’re coming for us, don’t worry,” she said, patting the man’s shoulder. “They’re coming.”

  I dreamt.

  A woman stood in a hallway full of windows, her auburn tresses tied back in a complex pattern that mimicked the swirl of the galaxy that lay beneath her feet, as if she stood on a glass floor, hovering high above the cosmos. Next to her, two others lingered—a blonde with hair so bright it seemed to emit its own light, and a woman with hair so dark it seemed to drink the light in. Seeing all three together felt like looking at a puzzle with all its pieces intact. The redheaded woman turned, her eyes on fire.

  “She is not yours to use,” she said.

  “You’ve given us no choice,” the dark-haired woman replied, tersely.

  “We cannot stop him alone,” the blonde pleaded.

  “There will be others,” the redhead said. “She will be needed elsewhere.”

  The dark-haired woman glared, spit, and turned away. The blonde, after a long, searching look, did the same. Finally, the redhead faced the window once more, speaking to the empty air. “You should not have come. Stop looking for me, or they will find you.”

  I dreamt.

  The ocean frothed beneath a cloud-filled sky. Waves spun outward like the arms of a twirling child, each one seemingly large enough to topple a city. Figures, dark and spectral, rode them, the points of their weapons cresting each wave like the teeth of a leviathan rising up from the depths. The wind howled, carrying their thunderous voices, promising death and vengeance.

  And beyond, at the very center of the massive storm, something glowed.

  An eye, blue and pulsing.

  And it saw me.

  Chapter 10

  I woke panting, my gun aimed at the door, skin so slick with sweat my t-shirt clung to my chest like a wet rag. I blinked the sleep and sweat out of my eyes, waiting for the door to open. Something was here. I knew it.

  My arm trembled from the strain of holding the gun.

  But there was nothing.

  Alucard reached out, slowly, and rested his hand on the barrel of my pistol, lowering it. “Now, now, cher. Just a bad dream. Nothing to get yourself worked up over. I’m still on my side of the bed, and—”

  A knock at the door sounded. I shrugged Alucard off and sighted down the line of my arm, prepared to fire. My heart hammered in my chest. I cursed, knowing my shot might go wild with me this worked up, but it didn’t matter; there was something on the other side of that door I wanted dead. I just knew it.

  “Rise and shine, love birds,” Dorian called.

  I took a deep breath. Well, I hadn’t been wrong.

  I slid my finger off the trigger.

  No matter how much I wanted to pump Dorian full of silver, firing a loaded gun into the belly of a cruise ship was asking for collateral damage. Besides, I didn’t want to deal with the other passengers freaking out; I had enough on my plate without apologizing to naughty pleasure cruisers. I lowered my gun, then flipped the safety on and tossed it back on top of my duffel. “We’ll be out in a minute,” I called. “Get lost.”

  “Well, someone’s not a morning person,” Dorian sniffed. I waited until I could no longer hear his footsteps before throwing off the covers. The recycled air felt good against my clammy skin, and the faint nausea I’d felt when I woke went away after a moment, despite the ship’s occasional sway.

  “You alright?” Alucard asked.

  “Peachy,” I replied, swinging my legs around.

  “Must have been one hell of a nightmare to get you all riled up like that. You were whimpering in your sleep like a dog.”

  “Like a dog?” I asked, hackles rising.

  “A very cute dog?” Alucard offered.

  “That’s not much better,” I replied. “And does that mean ye were watchin’ me sleep?”

  I felt Alucard shrug. “Not exactly. It’s hard for me to sleep at night, that’s all. Old habits and what not.”

  “So what, ye figured you’d pull an Edward Cullen? Ye do know it’s creepy, not sexy, to watch a girl sleep all night long?” I said, grouchily. I rose and slid along the wall, headed for the door. I desperately needed to take another shower. And coffee. Sweet baby Jesus I needed coffee.

  “Yeah, well, I’m a vampire. Creepy is sort of our factory setting,” Alucard said, sounding amused.

  “Whatever. Come watch the door for me and keep out the other creepy fuckers on board.”

  “Since you asked so nicely,” Alucard replied, “why not?” He scooted down towards the end of the bed, the sound of his jeans sliding along the sheets comically loud, and met me at the door. In fact, I nearly collided with him in the dark. I was suddenly aware of him—of his face hovering inches away from mine. I felt like I could reach out and touch it, like I should run my fingers down the curve of his jaw and the flesh of his throat, then down the line of his body. My hands actually twitched from the idea of what he’d feel like beneath my hands. My pulse sped up suddenly, and my mouth got very dry.

  And my wrist hurt. A lot.

  I took a hurried step back, pressing my spine against the wall, and took in a lungful of air. I couldn’t see it in the dark, but I could feel it—the hot metal of the bracelet I’d gotten from the woman with my mother’s face, a bracelet I never took off for fear I’d lose it.
The heat dissipated suddenly, gone as quick as it had come.

  What the hell was going on?

  “Cher? What’s wrong?” Alucard asked in a husky drawl.

  “Ye go on ahead,” I ground out through clenched teeth, digging my nails into the palms of my hands. “I’ll be right behind ye. I remembered I need to make a call.” I averted my eyes from the light of the open doorway and waited until Alucard left to collapse onto the bed. I concentrated on my breathing—anything to block out the intense physical sensations I was feeling. It was like my nerves were on fire, and every part of them wanted to reach out and touch someone…no, not someone.

  Alucard.

  What the actual fuck? I did a quick check of my mental state, checking off boxes. This wasn’t cabin fever; I hadn’t even been on the ship a full twenty-four hours. I felt sane, sane enough to know something was wrong with me, anyway. And it wasn’t horniness, which would have been the most likely culprit. Horniness made me stupid, but I’d never gone into hysterics because I needed to get laid; this was the twenty-first century, for crying out loud—a girl had toys for that. No, this was something else. This felt like something else. More like a…craving. The sort of craving I’d had before, although that had been a milder, tamer yearning. Still, I remembered that raw, animal magnetism I’d felt in Johnny Appleseed’s hotel room.

  I also remembered how he and I had almost blacked out after shaking hands.

  Talk about a brutal first impression.

  But why now? Why hadn’t Alucard triggered me before? What had changed?

  I groaned and rolled over, fetching my phone from my bug-out bag. While I was here, I might as well do what I’d said I was going to. I hadn’t been lying; I really did have a phone call to make. I’d almost forgotten, but I couldn’t leave without at least checking in with Othello, especially if I was about to run off to Fae for an indefinite period of time. I found her contact number and hit the call button.