Embrace the Night

Page 236



Quillan. The vampire from France. He was tall and lean, almost cadaverous. His complexion was pale; his green eyes burned with an unquenchable fire. His hair was long and straight and brown, touched with streaks of gray.

" Mademoiselle." The vampire bowed over her hand. "May I introduce my proteges, Delano and Sydelle."

Sarah forced a smile as she nodded at each one in turn. The boy smiled uncertainly; the woman's gaze was dark and unfriendly. And hungry.

Delano. A name that meant "of the night." A fitting name for a vampire, Gabriel mused as he led the way into the parlor and invited his guests to sit down.

"In your letter, you asked about the existence of a cure," Quillan said, getting right to the point. "Yes."

"You are serious about this, Giovanni?" "Yes."

Quillan glanced at Sarah. "I presume your desire to be transformed into a mortal is because of this woman."

Gabriel nodded. "Can it be done?"

"There is a formula that is rumored to be effective, but I know of no vampire who has survived. Those who have tried it have all suffered long and painful deaths."

"What is it? How does it work?"

"It consists of rare herbs and spices. They must be gathered by the light of a full moon, mixed by a white witch on All Hallow's Eve, and consumed by the vampire at dawn's first light."

Gabriel shuddered. He had felt the sting of the sun once before. Its touch, while brief, had been excruciating. He could scarcely bear to think of the agony those other vampires must have suffered before death claimed them.

"Do you have a list of the necessary ingredients?" he asked.

Quillan nodded. "But I would admonish you to think carefully before you partake of it, Giovanni. The passage from life to death to life is perilous. The journey back to mortality has always been fatal."

"Why would you want to give up the Dark Gift?" Sydelle asked impudently, her black eyes bold with challenge. "Why would you want to spend a few years with this puny mortal, and then die, when all the women of the earth are within your power?"

"Sydelle!" Quillan's voice was filled with quiet authority. "I would remind you that we are guests here. I will not tolerate your insolence."