Vampire 4 - Tonight and Always by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller [Miller, Linda Lael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-04-14T13:57:36+00:00

He closed his eyes for a moment, this vampire who had once been a man, a surgeon on the bloody battlefields of the American Civil War. He had seen anguish, of both the flesh and the spirit, and despite his intense focus on his experiments, he was not insensible to the shared sorrows of men and monsters. "Perhaps someday I will grow weary, yes. Kristina, why do you ask these questions? Is it because of that mortal you have become enamored of?'

"Mostly, yes," Kristina admitted. There was no use in lying to Calder, even if she'd felt the inclination. Because of the scientific bent of his mind, he was far more focused than Maeve, and attempts to dissemble were lost on him. "I love Max very much, Papa. You of all people"—they both smiled at the misnomer—"er—vampires—should understand."

"I do," Calder said with a nod. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, studying Kristina more intently than usual. "You do not look well. What is wrong?"

Kristina shrugged. "Love, I suppose," she said. "And I am so very tired."

Calder's frown deepened. "Sit down," he said, indicating a nearby stool. Behind him, the half-dissected vampire was clearly visible, lying still on its gleaming stainless-steel autopsy table. Calder took a syringe from its sterile packaging and skillfully drew blood from the vein in Kristina's right forearm.

"What's the diagnosis, Doctor?" Kristina asked with a wan smile.

He set the vial of blood carefully on a countertop and smiled back, but there was a shadow of consternation in his dark eyes. "Probably nothing," he replied,

"but it will take some time to determine the exact nature of the problem."

Kristina felt a little shiver of uneasiness. Was it possible for her to be ill? She'd never had so much as a case of the sniffles, in almost a century and a half of life, though she did occasionally suffer headaches. Even those tended to be more psychic in origin, however, rather than physical. "You'll be in touch as soon as you know?"

He came to her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Of course, and in the meantime, I don't want you fretting. I took that blood sample as a precautionary measure, and for no other reason."

Kristina stood. "But there is another reason. You must study the specimen closely, Papa." She paused to draw a resolute breath. "Please. I want to know what I am, if there's a definition."

Calder squeezed Kristina's shoulder lightly before letting go. He did not speak again but simply nodded.

Kristina summoned all her strength and willed herself back to Seattle. Although she had aimed for her house, she materialized in the shop instead. Then, too tired to do anything more, she curled up on a settee in the back of the store and tumbled into a deep, all-encompassing sleep.

The shop remained closed that day. The telephone went unanswered, and so did the postman's knock at the door. Kristina was oblivious, almost comatose.

When she awakened, it was dark, and for a few moments she could not remember where she was.

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