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pale man with a lean face and glowing red eyes. The rhythm of her heart notched up to
a heavy thump as those eyes focused on her.
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Karen McCullough
Chapter Two
A leering smile warped the mouth of the newcomer, showing a nasty, almost
gloating sort of amusement. Who s your friend, Michael? Looks tasty. His grin
widened, showing long, sharp fangs.
Unwilling belief started to take root inside her and grow. This might be an elaborate
prank, but she couldn t see how they d managed that smoke-mist effect and couldn t
imagine why they d go to so much trouble.
She started to really worry when Michael said, What are you doing here? and
even he sounded concerned.
The newcomer s fangs almost glittered, reflecting the firelight, as he shook his head.
Michael! This is your last night. Why do you think I m here?
To continue making my life hell, Michael answered.
Dear boy, no such thing. You re throwing away a heaven you barely imagine.
You ve already shown me. Our definitions are different.
The creature turned its red gaze her way. But what s this? Michael, you ve been
holding out on me. What a sweet little morsel you have here.
Right, Michael answered. And how did you arrange that, anyway, Antoine?
The other vampire shook his head. How could I have? She s stranded in a ditch. At
least I assume that s her car down the road?
You know it is. Go away. You re not needed here.
You don t want my company on your last night on this earth? We ve always had a
special relationship.
Special in the wrong kind of way, Michael said. No, I don t want you. Get out.
Antoine shrugged and turned her way, though he continued to address his remarks
to Michael. Are you going to drink from her? No? But it s a shame to waste such a
pretty treat. If you don t want her He took a step in her direction.
Almost before she could blink and back away, Michael was there, standing in front
of her, facing Antoine. You ll have to kill me first.
Surprise spread across Antoine s face, but it changed rapidly to a sneer. Ah, ever
the gallant. The words dripped sarcasm. But it will make it all the more satisfying
when you can no longer bear the thirst and the dying and take her yourself. You ll be
mine just as surely then.
It won t happen.
So you say. But you ve yet to feel the full clawing of the blood-thirst in your gut, as
your body fails and craves what will keep it alive. Perhaps it will be more fun to wait
138
Vampire s Christmas Carol
around and watch as you lose the fight. I predict it will happen at a couple of hours
before dawn. Maybe before, but certainly by then.
Antoine&
The other vampire laughed, and his form began to dissolve into mist again. I ll let
you enjoy the illusion of privacy for the moment. But I won t be far. I ll hear the screams
and come to enjoy watching your surrender. Au revoir, mon galant.
Within moments, he d broken up into mist and then the cloud itself faded away.
Carol drew in a deep breath to steady herself. Why did she feel the danger had lessened?
She still stood in the same room with a vampire a dying and soon-to-be desperate one,
according to Antoine. Michael hadn t denied the truth of the words.
That was& another vampire, wasn t it?
Antoine. He made me.
Made you& a vampire?
Technically I m just an undead. You don t become a true vampire until you ve
drunk human blood. I ve yet to do so.
Why? Or rather, why not?
They re monsters. Forget the romantic stories you see on television and movies
about them. They re human-sized parasites. They don t just drink blood, they kill
people brutally and cruelly to take their life essence. They steal others lives to
prolong their own. I won t be one of them.
Carol shivered as it occurred to her she d come close to becoming a victim just a
minute ago, and might yet be if she hung around. Urgh. Which was worse death by
vampire or death by freezing? What a lovely choice.
You re still chilly, he said, seeing her shake. Let me get that hot drink for you.
Michael threw another log on the fire before he left the room.
Carol moved closer to it. Should she just leave right now? He d said the nearest
occupied dwelling was almost a mile away. The odds of her making it even half that far
in this weather weren t good and that was if she had some idea which way to go. He
might help her with directions, but it was still late at night and snowing hard enough to
obscure visibility beyond a few feet ahead. It was covering the roads too, and hiding
ditches and other obstacles. Since Michael, at least, didn t seem inclined to kill her right
this moment, she was probably safer staying here for the moment, husbanding her
strength for a mad dash should it become necessary.
Another thought crossed her mind. She went to the hallway and looked around at
all the exits going off it. No one in sight. No sound of footsteps. But an old-fashioned
model phone, the kind with a rotary dial and a handset attached by a cord to the base,
sat on a side table. She went to it and picked up the receiver, hoping to hear a dial tone,
despite what Michael had said.
139
Karen McCullough
Instead the sound of silence rang loudly in her ear. Apparently he d told the truth
about the phones being out. She set it down carefully and went back to the living room
and the fire. She really was stranded here, in the house with a monster.
A few minutes later, he returned with a tray bearing two steaming mugs that
smelled of coffee, a small pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar. There was also a plate of
small sandwiches. He put it down on a side table and gestured her to an armchair that
faced the fireplace. He nodded toward the tray. Please go ahead. The food is for you.
You ve got to be hungry.
It seemed odd for a self-confessed vampire to be so polite, especially to someone
who had practically forced her way into his home. But he was right. Tension, fear and
the struggle through the weather to get here left her ravenous.
When she d put milk and sugar into one of the cups and carried it and the plate
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