"I can't imagine why they didn't pull you over," she said, frowning.
Rourke laughed softly. "Perhaps because they did not see us."
"What?"
"A bit of vampire trickery," he explained.
"I don't understand."
He eased up on the gas. "I veiled our presence from his sight."
"Sort of like using the cloaking device on the Enterprise."
"Ah, yes, Star Trek," Rourke said with a grin. "An entertaining tale."
He slanted a glance in her direction. "Very educational, television."
"Very," Kari agreed with a laugh. "Oh," she said, spying a late-night hamburger stand, "pull over there. I'm hungry."
At the drive-through window, she ordered a chili cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Rourke wrinkled his nose as he handed her the sack containing her order. He didn't think he would ever get used to the smell of cooked meat. Hard to believe he had once eaten beef and mutton and enjoyed it. After so many years, he could no longer remember the taste or the texture, nor did he have any desire to experience it again.
Back on the freeway, he drove at a more leisurely pace. He rather enjoyed driving. He liked the quiet purr of the engine, the feeling of being in control, the speed of the machine.
From time to time he glanced at Karinna while she ate, wondering what a cheeseburger tasted like. He was sorely tempted to lick the drop of chocolate malt from the corner of her mouth, and even more tempted to take the woman in his arms and taste every inch of her from head to heel. The thought stirred his desire as he imagined burying his hands in the silk of her hair, raining kisses along the sweet curve of her cheek, exploring every delectable curve of her lush young body and then doing it all again.
Muttering an oath, he quickly drove her home. Exiting the car, he handed her the keys.
"Thank you for letting me drive."
"You're welcome." She gazed up at him, her brows drawn together. "Is something wrong?"
"No. Good night."
"Rourke..."
"I need to feed," he said curtly. "Your warmth and your nearness tempt me almost beyond measure. Do you understand?"
"Not really."
"Pray you never do," he said, then vanished from her sight.
Chapter 9
Rourke lingered in the shadows, keeping watch over Karinna until she was safely inside the house, and then he continued on his way.
Leaving the city behind, he ventured into the shadowy world beyond the lights. He ran effortlessly for miles, caught up in the sheer joy of being free after three hundred years of captivity. He reveled in the sting of the wind against his face, the feel of the earth beneath his feet, the rich fragrance of flowers and foliage, the heady smell of life itself.
Slowing to a walk, he ran his hands over his face, flexed his arms and shoulders. He paused to glance up at the sky, appreciating the heavenly display as never before. A full moon shone brightly; stars without number stretched away into infinity.
In spite of his preternatural powers, he felt small and insignificant as he stood there. He had often pondered what his fate would be when his existence ended. As a child, his mother had taught him that there was a power mightier than all the kings of the earth and that every man, woman, and child who ever drew breath would one day be judged by that Infinite Being. Those who believed and kept the Law would be taken to Paradise; those who rebelled against the Word would be sent to everlasting torment. There had been no mention in his religious upbringing of vampires, but from what his mother had taught him, he was pretty sure that his current lifestyle, even though he hadn't sought it, would not be viewed with approbation or forgiveness. He could think of no worse punishment for a vampire than burning in a fiery hell through all eternity.
Shaking off such dismal thoughts, he continued walking, approaching the city from the other side. The buildings in this part of town were mostly rundown, many of them boarded up and uninhabited. It was here that the dregs of the city congregated, plying whatever nefarious trade they could.
It was here that he came to feed.
He prowled among the beggars and the winos and the shysters until he found a man who was a little less drunk and dirty than the others. He took what he needed quickly, grimacing as the stink of the man's unwashed body filled his nostrils. There was no need to erase his memory from the man's mind. Even if the wastrel remembered what had happened, no one was likely to believe the ravings of a sot.
With his hunger appeased, Rourke turned his thoughts to finding a place to spend the upcoming daylight hours. He needed a lair; a secure, private place to call his own. In days long past, he had taken his rest in aboveground tombs or in caves, but neither of those options was available here. A house with a cellar would suffice. Perhaps Karinna could help him find one.
If only she could help him find Vilnius. He had no way of knowing if the wizard still lived, or where he might be, no idea how to find the treacherous sorcerer in this new world.
He glanced at the sky. It was still several hours until dawn.
"Where are you, Vilnius?" he wondered aloud, and then he frowned. If he was a witch, where would he go to find other witches? A coven, of course, but how to find one in this day and age? That was the question.
Tomorrow he would search for the answer.
Kari sat at her desk at work, her gaze fixed on her computer screen, but it wasn't the image on the screen she saw. Instead, her mind kept conjuring images of Jason Rourke. In spite of everything, it was still hard to believe he was real, and harder still to believe he was a vampire. Who would have thought that such creatures actually existed! And how had they managed to keep it a secret for so long? Of course, if she went into Charlie's cubicle and told him she had met a vampire, he would never believe her, and neither would anyone else she knew. Like Tricia. If only Rourke hadn't erased Tricia's memory, she might have been able to convince Trish that Rourke had been the man in the painting. Not only that, but she would have had someone to confide in, someone who wouldn't think she was crazy.
The thought had no sooner crossed her mind when the phone rang. In one of those spooky moments, she knew it was her best friend on the phone even before she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Kari, it's me."
"Oh, hi, Trish."
"You were supposed to call me, remember?"
"I know, but I've been really busy."
"I can imagine. Come on now, 'fess up. Who is he? Where did you meet him? Is it serious?"
Kari laughed softly, then quickly sobered. It was beyond belief that Tricia could have seen Rourke in the painting, met him in Kari's bedroom, and didn't remember a thing about it. Vampire magic, indeed!