Dead By Dusk

She shook her head. "No. François has her. François de Venue," she told him. "And that's why you're going to need the sword."



Stephanie was afraid she was going to pass out. She could smell the blood from the living room floor where Lena and Suzette were still strewn on the floor, naked and supine, and crawling over the body of one of the maids, tearing at her with their nails and teeth, as if they were canines or hyenas, starved for a meal.



And there was Doug, just staring at her.



"It's time for what?" she demanded. "Doug, you've got to let me by. We have to get help, and quickly."



"No. It's time to go, Stephanie."



"Where, Doug?" she asked. She tried to keep her voice level and calm, stalling for time. Reggie was on her way… except that Reggie could just become part of this travesty.



She hadn't really looked around the room—there hadn't been time, and she'd been too stunned. She hadn't seen any weapons. That thought made her feel weaker. Suzette and Lena had apparently attacked the woman with their bare hands—and teeth. And what they had done…



She didn't dare think about it. She had to keep her wits together. Terror was filling her. At any minute, they could turn on her.



"It's time to go," Doug repeated again.



She kept staring at him, wishing they had thought to ask so many more questions when they were with Lucien and Jade. Was Doug a vampire now? Was he just under some kind of influence or unholy power?



And what about the girls? Oh, God, just looking at them now…



"Tell me, Doug. Where do you want me to go?"



"With me."



"Doug, we need help here," she said very softly.



For a moment, she thought that something registered in his eyes. A form of humanity… as if in him, somewhere, he saw what the girls were doing, and knew that the women needed help.



No, that they all needed help.



But the look was quickly gone. "You must come, Stephanie. I don't want to hurt you."



"If you don't want to—don't!" she told him.



"You have to come."



"Doug… look ! For the love of God, look at Suzette and Lena!"



He did. Once again, for split seconds, she thought she had him.



But then he shrugged, and a strange, eerie smile parted his lips. "They're hungry," he said, and it sounded as if he was nothing more than amused.



Desperately, and quickly, she assessed her situation.



Lena and Suzette—suddenly turned into bloodied, murderous, scavenging maniacs—were intent in their unholy pursuit on the living room floor. Doug blocked the main entrance.



The back. She had to get out the back. Vampires couldn't abide seawater. She remembered Lucien's arm, the way it had looked.



"All right, Doug. Just one minute," she said.



He stood there. She turned and walked slowly, as if she was intent on seeing what the girls were doing.



Her stomach flipped.



She moved past the girls.



Only then did she run, clicking the lock on the back door, sliding the glass with a slam, and running out with the speed of the wind.



She heard him behind her. Heard him roaring out a command to Suzette and Lena that they must stop her.



She didn't dare look back.



She ran for the sea. Plunging in, she swam out.



As she had hoped, Doug stopped at the shore. He couldn't come any farther. All she had to do was stand in the surf, and he couldn't reach her. Help would come.



Soon, she prayed.



But from where he stood, Doug lifted a hand, and swept it toward the sea. Lena and Suzette, absurdly naked and bloodied, bounded in after her.



She could outswim the two, she was certain. In a parallel line, she crawled hard, diving under, swerving, trying to lose them.



They were coming after her like a pair of sharks, drawn to the scent of blood.



The salt water was stinging her eyes. At her speed, her muscles were flagging quickly.



"Stephanie!"



She heard her name called. Blinking, she tried to see to the shore. There was someone there… help!



If she'd listened in the first place…



She kicked with all her strength, trying to get in ahead of her maniacal one-time friends. Her feet hit the sand, and she started racing in, toward the man who had come to save her.



Yet…



As she reached him, she knew.



She saw the amusement in his eyes.



It was the man she had known.



And it wasn't.



He had changed. Eyes that had always been light with laughter were now that strange yellow-red that had struck her as being so unusual in Lucien's striking features. He seemed to have grown. His shoulders were broader, and the amusement in his features was touched with contempt and an air of superiority. He was simply larger.



"Ah, poor Stephanie! You had no idea. You would be thinking that such a powerful man as François de Venue would walk about as a leader of men, now as before. But you must understand. I knew that there would be someone to come and challenge my power. So… to stay close, what else would one do? I had to do what I did to avoid those I did not want to see, and yet so easily have invitations to enter where I wished to go! Of course, come in, please…there I was, invited! And now…"



He raised his arms. It seemed that a huge black cloud rose all around her.



She started to scream.



The water! She had to get back to the water.



But the girls were coming for her now, lethal sirens as they rose from the surf. She dodged, trying to seek another line of escape.



There was Doug. He walked straight up to her as she nearly plowed into him, and his hand flew hard across the back of her neck.



Stars appeared before her. She began to stagger.



Arms, draped in black, swept around her.



She heard a strange, sizzling sound. Someone… cursing. "Damned seawater!" came a growl of rage.



And then, "Ah, but such a small price to pay. You are what I have been waiting for… you are what will make it complete!" she heard.



She fought for consciousness in the smothering folds of darkness.



It was a losing battle.



"What do you mean, it's too late? Nothing is ever too late—it can't be too late!" Grant shouted, gripping Jade by the shoulders.



"What I mean is that you won't find her at the hospital, and we won't find her at the resort. What we have to do is find out how to get her back and why François wants her so much," Jade told him.



"What are you two talking about?" Drew demanded. But looking from one to the other, he groaned.



"Something is really going on here—more than even I know."



"I'm going to the dig," Grant said.



"It may not be that simple—" Jade began.



"I'm going to the dig! She's there. I just—I just know she's there."



"All right, all right, but… you have to go prepared," Jade said. "Let's get back to Lucien's cottage—I have a few things that might help you."



"Is anyone actually going to explain this to me?" Drew pleaded.



They both looked at him, mouths opening.



"No," they said in unison.



"The explanation is too long, and you won't believe me, anyway. If anyone tries to bite you, stab at them with this!" Jade pulled the cross she was wearing from beneath her sweater and put it over his head.



"Head for seawater, if you can; but just come with us now!"



"What?" Drew gasped. "Seawater?"



"It can kill a vampire. By the way, my real name is Jade. My husband is Lucien. He's a vampire, too, but a good one."



"What? Wait!"



But Grant and Jade were already running. He had to follow. They made it back to Grant's car. He tossed the heavy sword in back as they piled into the front. In seconds, they were back at the cottages.



The lobby was empty as they hurried through it. "I'm going to get Lena and Suzette," Drew said.



"Do it, but watch out. And if you see Doug… holler for help. If anyone gives you any trouble, just start screaming," Grant said, shouting over his shoulder as he followed Jade, right behind her as she hurried ahead to Lucien's cottage. Bursting in, she called her husband's name. There was no answer.



"Upstairs!" she said to Grant.



He followed her. She'd thrown open a suitcase on the bed.



It was filled with small vials of water, heavy silver crosses, and neatly aligned wooden stakes.



Staring at it, Grant shook his head. "But I thought your husband was a vampire," he said.



She shrugged dryly. "Takes one to kill one, sometimes. Get over here, stock up." As he neared her, she drew out a large silver medallion on a heavy chain. She slipped it over his neck. "Fill your pockets with the vials. Oh, and this!"



To his amazement, she handed him a kid's squirt gun. He stared at her.



"Works wonders," she told him. "I've got to try to find out exactly what powers Valeria has, and how they can be stopped. Lucien should have been able to see a resurrected vampire. He's been blinded by Valeria's power, and there has to be a way to defeat her—and you've got to be so careful. We still don't know who we're up against! I'll find you as quickly as I can," Jade assured him.



He nodded, feeling desperate—and ridiculous. He felt a terrible urgency to get back to the site of the dig—after that, he didn't know. All he knew was that he had to get there.



As he started down the stairs, there was a tapping at the door. He paused, looking back at Jade, who shrugged.



One of the stakes firmly gripped in his hands, he opened the door.



Reggie was standing there. "Grant!" she exclaimed. "Oh, Grant! Thank God. I was afraid… I was trying to get to Stephanie… and I'm afraid it's too late! You've got to go for her, help her!"



"How did you know where to find me? And what the hell are you talking about?" Grant demanded.



"I saw you walk in here, but Grant! Damn it, that doesn't matter! We've got to get to Stephanie."