Crimson Shadows Read online

  I'm sorry, Meghann said, the harrowing events of the night leaving her limp and weak as Simon cradled her and rubbed his lips against her hair. I had no right to hurt you like that.

  Simon buried his hands deep in her hair and leaned down to graze her lips. There was nothing sexual in his touch; it was just Simon's way of telling her he'd forgiven her, that there was no need for apologies.

  "Did you have to hit her so hard?" Lee questioned reproachfully and Meghann broke off the kiss, feeling it was rude, as well as shameful, to flaunt her lover before Lee in his grief. "I can see your hand prints all over her face."

  "She's lucid again, isn't she?" Simon didn't set her down on one of the leather cushions but kept her on his lap. Though Meghann was glad for the contact, she worried that their closeness could only remind Lee of his terrible loss.

  Now is no time to worry over propriety and I have no intention of letting you move so much as a centimeter from me ever again.

  "How did this happen?" she demanded and saw Simon needed no clarification of what she meant.

  "Dawn will start soon and I need time to explain our son to you, Meghann. We'll retire now and discuss him tomorrow night on our journey home."

  "We will not!" Meghann protested heatedly. "We'll discuss it right now, there's nearly an hour ..."

  "Meghann!" The low timbered sharpness in Simon's voice and narrow gold eyes made her subside immediately, reflexively shrinking away before his arm clamped around her waist to keep her in place. "I planned to talk to you and Elizabeth of Mikal this evening. But between you wasting time soothing that imbecile Delacroix's histrionics and then ... this .. .there simply wasn't time. Now you will wait until tomorrow evening when we have the time and cool heads to discuss this situation properly. Do you understand?"

  If she lived to be a thousand, she'd never completely understand Simon Baldevar. She could all but flagellate him with her words, maul his face, and he'd forgive her immediately, but let her disagree with the creature or contradict him and he sat there glaring icy disapproval. Meghann shook her head and sighed, thinking it would take a far more adept psychologist than she to crack Simon Baldevar and his baffling psyche.

  Simon was just lucky she felt bad enough about the way she'd behaved earlier to give in to his highhanded orders gracefully. On any other night, she'd spend any time remaining until dawn telling him exactly what she thought of his behavior.

  If you want to give in gracefully, wipe that sulky frown off your face, Simon smirked at the red-gold eyebrows drawn together over her nose.

  Meghann started to scowl even more fiercely when he spoke again: I knew temper would lighten your grief.

  Meghann leaned back, almost smiling when she thought how well Simon knew her, to trick her into an anger that had done more to heal her than any soothing words.

  "Shall we retire?" Simon asked, giving her a lazy grin and Meghann nodded but Lee spoke up before they could rise.

  "Not yet. There's something I have to discuss with you both." Lee cleared his throat and stood up, his eyes steady and full of resolve as he addressed them. "I want you to transform me. Now, tonight."

  "What?" Stunned, Meghann turned to Simon, fully willing to allow him to handle this bombshell development. What had bought this on? Meghann hadn't thought Lee would want to transform now that Charles was gone.

  "I'm tired of being useless," Lee said and Meghann saw fury and determination light up his normally tranquil eyes. "Mikal killed Charles but I can surmise that Charles is far from his last victim. Simon, he's going to go after Ellie and Meghann, isn't he? That's why you were so sad this evening ... you have to protect your wife and daughter from your own son."

  Simon merely nodded, grasping Meghann's wrist to warn her to keep quiet until Lee was done speaking.

  "I wasn't able to help Charles." Lee swallowed and Meghann saw his fists clenched tightly in his trouser pockets. "But I'll be damned if I stand on the sidelines while Mikal goes after Ellie. She's my daughter as much as yours and I'm going to do everything I can to protect her. That means being a vampire, for once having the strength to fight for the people I love instead of being shunted into the background, a useless mortal everyone has to protect. No more! From now on I fight back."

  "It will be as you wish," Simon said and the vise on Meghann's wrist tightened. "But I cannot stand by and let you demean all you've done to protect Elizabeth, who you rightfully point out is your child, as well as ours."

  "I want to do more than be your mortal babysitter," Lee insisted and Meghann sprang at him, twisting out of Simon's grip.

  "Ellie would never have been born if it wasn't for your skill and I would have died with her," Meghann said, taking his hands. "You saved me from hemorrhaging, from bleeding my baby away. You gave up your career to raise and shape Ellie, not merely babysit her, as you put it You didn't need to be a vampire to do all those things, Lee. Are you so sure you have to become one now?" What she didn't say was she wasn't sure how much a novice vampire could help against the apparently formidable creature Mikal was.

  "As a vampire, I can whack the head off anyone that tries to hurt her," Lee said firmly and Meghann floundered, not sure how or even if she should pursue the argument.

  Simon made the decision for her. "Dr. Winslow is right, Meghann. As an immortal, he can protect Elizabeth and avenge his lover, which is his right. And you are right to respect Mikal's power, Doctor. He is a powerful adversary and that is why I do not want anyone left at his mercy simply because they are mortal. Do you understand now why I insisted Elizabeth transform, Meghann?"

  Meghann did understand, though it broke her heart to think of her daughter giving up the sun and taking on the burdens of immortality at such a young age. To see Ellie struggle with the blood lust...

  Better than seeing her dead, Simon said harshly and then addressed Lee. "We can start tonight. You will be bled to the point of death to trigger transformation. Tomorrow, you will feel weak and lisdess. Remain in bed and attempt to digest nothing but cool water. You may notice a certain transparency to your reflection— that happened to Meghann before I completed her transformation. Tomorrow night, you drink our blood to complete the process."

  Meghann shuddered, knowing full well how many complications could arise after Lee drank their blood—transformation induced psychosis like Jimmy had suffered, severe physical deformities. Even death in the worst case scenario. Then she relaxed, remembering Simon's incomparable skill in the art/science of transformation. If anyone could guide Lee safely into immortality, it was he.

  "Which of us do you want to bleed you?" Simon asked Lee and Meghann saw the mortal doctor's star- tied gaze shift from her to Simon and back again to her.

  "Let's go to your sleeping quarters," Simon said after Lee made his choice.

  In a masculine bedroom of leather and dark wood, Lee dressed for bed and lay on his back against the taupe bed sheets, suddenly looking uncertain and scared.

  "It's all right," Meghann said into his ear and sat beside him, holding his hand. "It doesn't hurt that much. Did Charles ever bite you?"

  "Sometimes," Lee whispered, his face flaming as Meghann uncomfortably shifted, wishing she hadn't had to ask for this detail of their private life together.

  "Then you know what it feels like," she said shortly to cover up her embarrassment. She leaned down and kissed Lee on the lips, her emotions maternal and caring as she brought his wrist to her mouth and gently punctured the skin with her blood teeth.

  As Meghann drank, she focused less on the blood filling her and more on the images of Charles she received from Lee's thoughts. With Lee supine and dreaming beneath her, Meghann saw her best friend and the impressions were so crisp and sharp she almost thought them reality.

  This feeding was giving Charles back to her! Meghann drank thirstily, her heart aching as Charles rose up before her, smiling and laughing in Lee's memories. She saw Charles bouncing the baby Ellie in his arms, holding his arms out as she took shaky steps toward him. She saw
Charles and Lee hand in hand in some dark park, stopping by a bench to sit and breathe in a balmy summer night. She saw them having a snowball fight outside the Southampton house, her best friend's cheeks red with cold and his black hair falling sloppily into his eyes as he laughed and fired the harmless snowballs at Lee.

  Charles! Meghann's soul screamed out and she plunged into Lee recklessly, wanting him to give her more of his memories, not able to let her dear friend go away from her again . ..

  A violent tug on her hair yanked her off Lee and when Meghann spun around to hiss at the interruption, Simon pinioned her arms by her side to keep her still and said mildly, "No more. You'll kill him."

  "Charles ..." she began helplessly and fell into Simon's arms, weeping and crying out, "It doesn't stop hurting."

  "The pain won't always be so strong, little one. Someday it will subside and you'll be able to experience happiness again, even while you mourn your friend."

  "Is Lee okay?" she asked a few minutes later and wiped her mouth clean with the silk handkerchief Simon gave her.

  "As well as his current state will allow," Simon said and gestured to the shivering, fever-stricken mortal tossing in and out of an uneasy sleep.

  Meghann tucked Lee under the sheets and planted another kiss on his clammy, perspiring brow. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop his fever—he must suffer through this misery to transform. But what would it be like to see Ellie lie like this, hurting and weak, knowing she could do nothing to ease her daughter's distress?

  "Call Elizabeth," Simon said, either sharing her concern or nosing around her mind with his usual intrusiveness. "She'll worry if she doesn't hear from you."

  "Did I scare her?" Meghann was ashamed of herself, falling apart and carrying on like that when Ellie needed her to be calm, to support her through this first tragedy of her life.

  "Meghann." Simon knelt by the edge of the bed and ran his fingers along her jaw, smiling up at her with love and admiration. "You do not have to be perfect to be a good mother to your daughter. Do you think Elizabeth considers you some emotionless mannequin, incapable of experiencing sorrow and pain? Elizabeth isn't frightened or disappointed in you because you had a strong reaction to Charles Tarleton's death. But she is concerned and you should call her."

  "I don't need a phone to talk to Ellie."

  "Show-off," Simon teased and tickled under her chin, like she was the cat he sometimes compared her with. "Don't sap your strength or our daughter's when there is a perfectly good phone available."

  Nodding her compliance, Meghann led Simon to the guest bedroom and used the phone on the night- stand, yawning hugely as she waited for Ellie to pick up. Dawn was approaching; she could feel it in her bones now. What was taking so long, Meghann wondered when the phone rang for the sixth time. It was five o'clock in Chicago, close to six in New York. Even if Ellie was asleep, Jimmy might still be awake to answer the phone but it was just ringing and ringing. Anxiety clutched her heart—had something happened to Ellie and Jimmy?

  Then Ellie picked up the phone, her breathing labored and voice rushed, and Meghann felt the nasty spurt of panic subside. "Sweetheart, where were you? Were you sleeping? Then why didn't you pick up right away? And where's Jimmy, he should have gotten the phone—you were on the terrace and didn't think to bring the cordless with you? Yes, honey, I'm . . . well, I'm better. Lee's okay, considering. We'll talk about Lee tomorrow, when your father and I. . . yes, Ellie, he found me and I'm thoroughly sorry for everything I said to him and I'm sorrier you saw me like that." Meghann's eyes misted and she clutched the phone tighter before she spoke again. "Thank you, sweetheart. Anyway, we should be back around eleven tomorrow. I know that's late but your father doesn't want anyone handling our bodies during the day. Promise me you'll do like your father asked and stay at the house all day tomorrow. Don't pick up the phone; don't leave the estate for any reason. No, I'm not nagging ... okay, maybe a little. Just stay put... I love you, too. Yes, I'll tell him. Good night."

  Frowning, Meghann hung up the phone and turned to Simon. "Something's wrong with Ellie."

  "She's not harmed?" Simon demanded, his face pale and lips set in a narrow line.

  "No, nothing like that. But I get the feeling she's hiding something from me . . . maybe she doesn't want me to know how frightened she is." Meghann decided not to tell Simon that her hackles had been raised because Ellie didn't sound frightened or even all that sad. Instead, her voice was remarkably light and happy... the furtive, sneaky happiness that came from doing something your mother didn't know about and likely wouldn't approve of. The last time Meghann caught that tone, Ellie tried to sneak off to Fort Lauderdale for spring break with friends from school after Meghann and Lee vetoed the trip on the grounds that Ellie was too young at fifteen to travel alone and they worried about her being unprotected at night. Meghann intercepted Ellie because of that furtive tone when she insisted she was merely going to the library instead of leaving for Florida. Naturally, Meghann put a stop to Ellie's plans and grounded her for the first and only time in her life.

  But what kind of mischief could Ellie have gotten up to in the five hours since Meghann had last seen her? Meghann shrugged and decided her imagination was running away with her. Most likely, Jimmy had somehow managed to get Ellie's mind off the trouble and she felt guilty for being diverted.

  "Ellie sends her love," Meghann smiled at Simon, watching him strip off his oxford-cloth shirt with a stray pang of desire she was too heart sore and tired to do anything about.

  "There's always tomorrow night," Simon smiled back, reading the implicit message in her hungry eyes. "And every other night for the rest of our lives."

  "Will there be a rest of our lives?" Meghann asked, removing her own clothes and climbing into bed beside him. Soon, she found her favorite sleeping position, sprawled on top of Simon with his chin resting comfortably on her head.

  "I want an eternity with you, Meghann, and I will not settle for anything less. I won't be cheated out of all the time I lost with you and Elizabeth. We'll deal with this adversity and then there will be all the time in the world to love and play." Absently, Simon kissed the top of her head. "Sometimes; little one, I think I missed this—knowing you lie beside me through the day—more than anything else."

  She'd missed this tqo, going to sleep with her arms locked firmly around Simon instead of confronting the seemingly endless expanse of a bed no one shared with her. She'd hated going to sleep on cold sheets, her arms empty and heart filled with a hollow feeling of loneliness. How she'd missed Simon's presence making her feel protected as she slept through the day. .. protected . . .

  "Simon!" Meghann's head popped up and she scanned his eyes anxiously. "Mikal might know we're here. He could try to ... to do to us what he did to Charles..."

  "No, Meghann," Simon said and returned her head to the hollow in his throat. "Even if Mikal knows where we are, he would never attack my resting place."

  "Why?" Meghann asked and felt the coming dawn, impervious to her fear, force her mind and body into the vampires' daylight stupor.

  "Because he's already tried and failed," was the last thing she heard Simon say as his arms tightened around her.

  She didn't hear Simon sigh, "My poor little love," as he gazed down at her or know he thought her pale, tired face with its tear streaks made her resemble a battered rag doll, used and tossed away by a careless child.

  And Meghann never felt the quick brush to her lips or heard Simon vow, "I'll keep you safe, Meghann ... you and our daughter. I swear I will."

  Eight

  After Baldevar left, Jimmy put Ellie to bed in her old room and took a shower. He scrubbed his legs, which had turned blue from the wet denim bleeding onto his skin, and wished he could rinse the leaden sadness and worry from his mind as easily as he attacked the indigo stain on his thighs.

  Showering quickly so Ellie wouldn't be left alone too long, Jimmy toweled off and emerged from the steamy bathroom ten minutes later, wrapped in
a terry cloth robe.

  He knocked softly on Ellie's door, not wanting to wake her if she'd fallen asleep but at the same time warning her of his entry.

  "Ellie?" His heart in his throat, Jimmy stared at the empty sleigh bed in dread. Where was she? Jimmy didn't care that Baldevar insisted he'd enchanted the beach house against immortal trespassers; Jimmy couldn't shake off the irrational feeling something awful had happened to Ellie while he showered. "Ellie, where the hell are you?"

  "Over here, Jimmy," her voice floated out from Charles and Lee's suite and Jimmy sagged against the walnut bedpost in relief. If he weren't so distracted, his senses would have detected the whisper of her heartbeat coming from the other end of the house even before he stepped into the empty bedroom.

  "What are you doing in here?" Jimmy asked, running into the room. "I thought you were going to sleep."

  "I wasn't tired," Ellie shrugged and her dull, grieving eyes flicked over him.

  "What are you doing?" Jimmy repeated gently, noticing the shambles the room was in and the large black trash bags at Ellie's feet. Why was she taking Charles and Lee's room apart?

  "Someone has to do this," Ellie said and gestured to the clothes. "I... I thought Uncle Lee shouldn't have to come home and confront Charles's clothes, all neat and hung up, like ... like they were waiting for Uncle Charles to come home and wear them again ..."

  "Honey, no," Jimmy said and hugged her tightly, pushing aside some heavy wool sweaters so he could sit down on the bed with Ellie, sobbing against his shoulder. "You don't have to do this. I'll take care of it. Don't cry. Come on, let me help you back to your room."

  "No," Ellie protested even while he walked her into the hallway. "This has to be done before Mom and Uncle Lee get back."