Embrace the Night

Page 114



the house, in front of the windows, on the roof, over the chimney. Holy water, stolen from several church fonts, had been brushed around the door frame and each window, and then he had poured a narrow stream of holy water around the cottage itself. As an extra measure, he had strewn garlic around the foundation. He only hoped he had correctly interpreted the signs, and that Gabriel was indeed a vampire, and not some other form of night creature.

Maurice shuddered. As a young man, he had enjoyed reading novels about vampires: Wake Not the Deadby Tieck, The Pale Faced Ladyby Alexandre Dumas, La Morte Amoureuseby Gautier.

In literature, the preferred method of destroying a vampire was a wooden stake through the heart, but, at least for the moment, Maurice lacked the courage to face Gabriel in his lair. According to legend, a vampire could not cross an unbroken circle made of holy water. If he could not leave the house, he could not feed. If he could not feed, he would weaken. And then Maurice would break down the cellar door and do what had to be done.

He walked around the house three times, studying his handiwork, wondering how long it would take for Gabriel to weaken to the point that he would no longer be a threat.

She read the note four times. Her cheeks were wet with tears, the paper stained with her sorrow, when she finally put the note aside.

He was gone.

"… for your own good," the note said, "I want you to get on with your life. Marry Maurice. Have children…"

But she didn't want to marry Maurice, didn't want to have his children. She wanted Gabriel. She had wanted him ever since the first night he had come to her in the orphanage. He had been her solace, her hope, her joy. He had made her feel beautiful.

And now he was gone.

She was tempted to go to the cottage, to see for herself, but she couldn't face the pain that would bring.

Maurice came to call on her later that afternoon, his brown eyes warm with caring as he invited her to lunch.

"Not today, Maurice," she said. "I want to take a nap before I go to rehearsal." "All right. Shall I come by for you later?"

Sara shrugged. "If you wish."

"Till later, then," he said. He gave her hand a squeeze, planted a kiss on her cheek, and took his leave.
Sara stared at the closed door, overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness, of loss.

She was going to leave Paris. There were too many memories here. Perhaps she'd go to Italy… but no, Gabriel had a villa there. Spain, then? She shook her head. Gabriel owned a castle in Salamanca. Back