Blake nodded.
“Ninety-nine in September,” Elise said.
That number was so at odds with her lovely, youthful appearance, Blake had to smile. “You don’t look a day over ninety-two,” he said with wry humor.
Elise shrugged. “Some days, I feel even older.”
Today was one of those days, if the stress on her face was any indicator. Blake sought to lighten her mood. There was no need for either of them to bemoan what was coming.
“How about I teach you to play chess? It’s not hard. By the time the train arrives in Salt Lake tomorrow morning, you’ll be a pro.”
“I don’t want to learn to play chess,” Elise snapped, then she grabbed the edge of the built-in metal board and ripped it out of the cabin wall.
Blake stared at her. “Don’t do this.”
Suddenly she was in front of him, kneeling in the empty space where the pull-down table had been.
“You don’t have to die.” Her voice was ragged. “I can take you with me and keep you safe. Keep the demon from hurting anyone else…”
Blake took her beautiful face in his hands. “You can’t watch over me every second of every day, and I won’t let that thing get away to ruin more people’s lives. Aside from you, the only thing that’s made me happy these past few days is knowing that I’ve finally scared it for a change. That demon is going to regret what it did to me, because I’m the man who’s going to bring it down. Don’t try to take that away from me, Elise.”
Her eyes were bright, pink tingeing the corners. Blake couldn’t stop himself from what he did next. He kissed her, needing her taste like he was the vampire, and she was fresh blood. To his relief, her mouth opened at once, her tongue raking his while fangs sprang out of her upper teeth.
Blake didn’t care about her fangs, even when those sharp tips scored his tongue. Elise sucked at the blood while kissing him, her raw need matching his and driving his passion to a fiery level. He pulled her up on his lap, groaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
His hands went under her tank top, tugging it up in impatience. Then he blinked when it was wadded on the floor with her bra in the next moment. Blake didn’t bother to contemplate how fast Elise had taken it off, however. He cupped her breasts, tearing his mouth from hers to kiss them. Her flesh was soft and sleek, her nipples so hard by comparison. When he sucked and bit them gently, Elise moaned, ripping at his pants.
They split open, torn to the knee. Blake pulled them off, kicking the remains free. Her pants were gone in another blur, as was his shirt, until there was nothing separating her skin from his.
He grabbed her hips and arched forward, his mind exploding at the squeeze of her flesh as he thrust into her. Oh God, oh yes! He kissed her again, bracing his legs against the chair across from him, moving deep and fast within her. Elise rocked with him, gripping him so tightly it almost hurt—but he never wanted to end.
He held her, moving faster, knowing this would be the closest he ever came to heaven.
The whistle at the station sounded like a death knell to Elise. She gripped Blake’s hand. If it were possible for vampires to throw up, she would have gotten sick as the train ground to a halt.
“Salt Lake City,” the attendant cheerfully called out.
Blake squeezed her hand. “It’s okay,” he said, and squared his shoulders.
I won’t cry, Elise promised herself. If he can be this brave, so can I.
She didn’t feel brave, though. She felt like silver was spearing her through the heart. How she’d ever get through the day, she had no idea.
Last night, she’d cast about for any other option than Blake’s death. Turning Blake into a vampire wouldn’t work, Mencheres reminded her when she brought that up. Changing Blake into a vampire required that he be drained of blood until he was almost dead. Then, still clinging to life, Blake would drink Elise’s blood, which would trigger his undeath. Since natural death didn’t happen, becoming a vampire wouldn’t force the demon out. No, it would mean Xaphan would have a back door into possessing a vampire instead. With Blake as a possessed vampire, who knew what new horrors Xaphan could wreak? They’d be handing the demon more power than he’d ever dreamed.
I won’t let the demon free, he’d stated flatly. Mencheres had agreed that only human death, without any vampire blood in Blake, could force Xaphan out into the merciless trap of the salt flats.