A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

Page 194



Her fear drove straight to his heart. With a mighty surge, he turned on the vampires, flinging them aside the way a horse shook water from its coat.

Heedless of the blood flowing from his arms and legs, he battled the other vampires. Hatred fueled his anger, making him oblivious to the wounds they inflicted on him. One of the younger vampires turned and ran from his rage.

He tore out the throat of the second, ripped the heart out of the third.

In the lull that followed, he heard a harsh cry of pain, turned to see Laslo and Franco reeling backward, their faces contorted with anguish as they clawed at their eyes.

Tracysat up, a small brown bottle in one hand."Holy water."

Dominic grinned at her, and then felt a new wave of fear as Petrina rose up behindTracy and wrapped the fingers of one hand aroundTracy 's throat.

"Your little bottle is empty," Petrina said with a sneer. "And you are mine."

"No!" Dominic started forward, but Petrina held out her free hand. "Another step and I will tear out her heart."

"No!"

Petrinaglanced at Franco and Laslo . "We are going to go now, and we will take your little mortal with us, to make sure you don't follow."

" Petrina, wait…"

"You took Zarabeth and Turk from me," Petrina said. "Now it is my turn to take something from you."

"If you kill her, I will hunt you down. There will be no place where you can hide, no place where I will not find you."

Something that might have been fear flickered in Petrina's eyes and was quickly gone. "I will make you a deal then," she said, her hand tightening onTracy 's throat. "I will not kill her, and you will leave Sea Cliff to me."

"You will not turn her?"
"No."

Dominic stared at Petrina for a long moment, as though weighing her words, and then sighed in resignation."Very well. Leave her and go."

Petrinashook her head. "I do not trust you. We will take her with us, and leave her where you can find her."

Dominic's gaze rested onTracy 's face. "Do not be afraid, my best beloved one. I will find you." He looked at Petrina again. "Do not betray me."