Embrace the Night

Page 177



it there, lying in an alley. The police would find him in the morning. His death would be blamed on one of the many robbers who frequented this side of town.

Returning to Sara's apartment, he cleaned up the blood, locked the door. And then, wrapped in his cloak, he crawled under her bed to wait for nightfall.

In those last moments before the deathlike sleep claimed him, he sought her thoughts, hoping to reassure her, but he found nothing. Either Nina had killed her or she was unconscious.

"Hang on, Sara," he whispered. "I'm coming."

She opened her eyes to darkness. The filthy cloth that covered her mouth tasted vile; it was hard to breathe, hard to swallow.

The endless darkness, the silence, filled her with unspeakable horror. Was this what it was like for Gabriel? But no, he had said it was like death—no thoughts, no dreams.

The earth beneath her was cold and damp. She flinched as something tiny and hairy crawled across her arm. Hours ago, she would have screamed, but her throat was raw and she had no voice left.

How long had she been in this hole? Was she going to die here?

She shuddered convulsively as she imagined herself trapped in this grave without food or water, quietly starving to death, her body growing weak, emaciated, while she went quietly mad, until the worms came to devour her flesh…

She shook the morbid thought aside, focusing all her thoughts on Gabriel. Surely he would come for her. If he could.

She remembered the creatures who had attacked them, and for the first time she wondered if Maurice was alive.

Had she caused his death, and Gabriel's, too? Would she die here, in this place?

Was it still night? She strained her ears, hoping to hear some sound that would tell her she wasn't alone. Even the company of those awful brutes who had abducted her would be welcome.

She tried to scream, to call for help, but no sound emerged from her throat. Gabriel, please help me. Gabriel, anybody, please, please, help me.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she closed her eyes and prayed for someone to find her before it was too late.

He moved through the night like the shadow of death, his face impassive, his eyes burning with the need for vengeance. He had drained Maurice of blood and it flowed through him, warm and vibrant with the memory of life.