Embrace the Night

Page 127



Cursing softly, he turned to stare out the window again. "You'd better go," he said tersely. "Your young man is waiting for you."

She wasn't much company at dinner that night. She picked at her food, remembering what Gabriel had said. If I'm desperate, the blood of animals will suffice. In extreme cases, I've been known to dine on the blood of rats… Had he been serious, or was he merely trying to drive her away? And yet, deep down, she knew that everything he had said was true. He lived only by night. He fed off the blood of other living creatures. How could he exist like that?

She stared at the dark red wine in her glass. Gabriel drank wine. It was the only nourishment she had ever seen him take. How could he drink blood?

"Sara Jayne?"

She glanced up, aware that Maurice had asked her a question. "What?" "You seem distracted."

"I'm sorry."

"Is anything wrong?"
"No."

"Have you by chance been out to the cottage?" "Why do you ask?"

"Have you?"

"Yes. I assume that's your handiwork, all those crosses, and the garlic?"
Maurice nodded.

"What did you hope to prove?"

"He's a vampire, Sara Jayne. I'm sure of it." "Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "There's no such thing."

Maurice shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But if he isn't a vampire, then all I've done is waste my time. And if he is…"

"If he is?"

"Then he won't be able to leave the cottage." Maurice sat back in his chair, his expression suddenly suspicious. "You didn't touch anything, did you?"