Dark Hunger (Immortal Legacy Book 5) Read online

  “You see. There’s no way for light to get in here unless the doors are open. There are cameras hooked up around the outside of the van and in the driver’s area so that we can see what’s going on from back here. We can also communicate through an intercom system I installed.”

  “Very innovative,” Dash smiled. “Do you think we could like, hook up a video game system to that monitor?”

  “It’s that kind of frivolous thinking that will get you someday,” Donovan’s voice took us by surprise.

  Donovan had been closed up in his study for hours with Father Rovati and hadn’t come out with the group to look at the van.

  I wasn’t sure exactly what my father and the priest were discussing, but it had turned hot. More than once I’d heard raised voices from the study. Whatever they were talking about, we weren’t permitted to know about it.

  Dash turned to Donovan and shrugged. “It was just an idea. You know, to help break the boredom of the road.”

  Ethan pointed to the refrigerator. “We can carry an emergency supply with us, and soda too, if you want,” he said, looking at Nicole and me.

  “So when do we leave?” I asked, but without much excitement.

  “Tomorrow night. That should give everyone a chance to get ready,” Ethan said.

  “Well, Dash,” Nicole put an arm around the vampire’s shoulder. “It looks like you finally get your trip to Wyoming.”

  Although Nicole was trying to act cheerful, it was clear she was still upset about Dash’s decision.

  “Yes, I’ve waited a long time for this,” he said with a smile, but it was a sad smile.

  As the others returned to the house, Jeanie grabbed my hand. “Wait, I wanted to have a word with you.”

  Stopping, I looked at my aunt. “Is everything okay?”

  “I don’t know. Is it?”

  I shrugged. “I’m okay, considering.”

  Jeanie was doubtful. “I feel as if the real Sarah has retreated into herself. You are so hard, so cold now.”

  “It’s only been two weeks. I’m sure I’ll get over it sooner or later,” I frowned.

  In the beginning, I’d been unable to accept the reality of Darrien’s death. Even with the letter he left, it just seemed so impossible - so unreal. As the days went by, I did begin to accept his death as real and to accept the fact that he was gone. Darrien was no longer a part of my life and never would be again.

  Acceptance hadn’t eased the pain, and it didn’t make me any less angry. I almost felt as if the person I once was, no longer existed. I was just a shell, going through the motions of life.

  Jeanie was watching me, pulling my thoughts from my head.

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” I told her.

  “I’m worried about you. I know you cared about him, but you still have your whole life ahead of you. Please don’t let me lose you like I did your mother.”

  I forced a smile. “Really, I’ll be okay.”

  Jeanie didn’t seem to believe me, but instead of pressuring me further, she changed the subject. “Tomorrow morning, I’m leaving to go back to Sutter Point.”

  “Why?” I was shocked by this new development.

  My aunt shrugged. “I don’t really belong here. I know that this is something that you must do, but I think I could be more useful back home.”

  “Are you sure it’s not because a certain gentleman is no longer here?” I asked, giving her a sly smile. It was the first time in two weeks my smile was truly genuine. I was happy my aunt was feeling the first pangs of romance.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Jeanie scoffed.

  “It’s okay auntie,” I said. Grabbing her hand, I started walking toward the front porch. “I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to meet up with him again.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sarah

  I was sure the little two-lane highway would go on forever. We’d been traveling for nearly two days with only short stops to sleep for a few hours. On both sides of the road, was nothing but sagebrush, but in the distance, I could make out a mountain range.

  The speaker in the dashboard came alive. “This looks familiar,” Dash said. “I think there is a rest stop not far from here. Pull over there.”

  Nicole leaned forward and pushed the button on the intercom. “Are you sure? The sun isn’t completely down yet?”

  “Yes. I need to get my bearings,” he answered, but a burst of static made it difficult to understand what he was saying.

  I shrugged. “Well, I guess he wants us to stop anyway.”

  Actually, I was glad for the opportunity to get out and stretch my legs. Besides, it was Nicole’s turn to drive.

  Sure enough, a couple miles further and we came to the sign announcing a rest stop ahead. It was to the left. Flipping on the blinker, I made the turn. Not that I really needed to use the blinker since there hadn’t been another car for at least an hour.

  I brought the van to a stop near the restrooms. After turning off the engine, I pushed the button to talk to those in back. “Are you sure this is the place?”

  There was an eruption of static from the speaker, but no other response.

  “I can’t hear you. I asked if you were sure this is the place?” I tried again.

  Again, there was only static. Feeling a little uneasy, I looked over at Nicole.

  “Something’s wrong!” Nicole said as she was unfastening her seatbelt. “We need to check on them.”

  Reaching out, I grabbed Nicole’s arm before she could open her door. “Whatever is wrong, you’ll only make it worse by opening those doors right now.”

  Nicole stopped and stared at the red ball of fire sinking in the western sky, but too slowly.

  “I mean really, what could be wrong? We’ve been moving the whole time,” I reasoned.

  “We should at least make sure the door is still shut,” Nicole said as she jumped out of the van.

  I followed her sister. We stood behind the van; our eyes fix on the closed doors. I could feel my sister fighting the urge to fling those doors open.

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” I tried to reassure Nicole. “It should only be a few more minutes before we can safely open the doors. Maybe you can get one of them on your mobile?” I suggested.

  Nicole pulled her phone from her pants pocket. “There’s no service.”

  When I checked my phone, I also had no service. This wasn’t surprising, considering we were in the middle of nowhere.

  Every couple minutes, Nicole peered at the sun. Finally, when the last rays faded from the horizon, she went for the doors. As soon as she opened it, Dash, Alec, and Ethan stepped out.

  Nicole threw her arms around Alec’s neck. “You scared the hell out of me. What’s wrong with the intercom?” she asked.

  Ethan already had a screwdriver in his hand. “I don’t know. There was so much static that we couldn’t hear you over it,” Ethan answered for Alec as he was climbing back into the van.

  “That’s what it was like in front,” I told them.

  Suddenly, Ethan stopped what he was doing and looked at us over his shoulder. “Maybe it’s because we’re close. When you think about it, if there’s a portal, there has to be some kind of energy associated with it. That energy could interfere with any type of electronics.”

  Dash was staring up the road. “We are close. I remember this place.”

  “So, you saw this guy on this road, miles from any kind of civilization, and he let you see a vision?” Alec’s skepticism came through in his voice.

  “You see! There you go!” Dash threw his hands in the air. “I knew you never believed me.”

  “Okay - okay,” Nicole stepped in. “So we know it’s probably somewhere around here, but where? What do we do now?”

  Ethan was holding a portable GPS in his hand and was waiting for it to locate us. “This isn’t working either.”

  “I tell you, that little dude was right down the road from here,” Dash mumbled.

  Nicole held u
p her hand to silence everyone. “Both times that there has been a vision, it was done with a medallion, and I am not even sure that what I experienced was real. Anyway, let’s not forget that as far as we know, the only people that possess these medallions are the ancients. Has anyone considered what we will do, even if we find this portal?”

  Grinning, Dash pulled something from his shirt pocket. A golden medallion hung from the chain he held in his hands. Like Donovan’s medallion, this one had a crystal in the middle and was surrounded by those strange markings.

  “Where did you get that?” Alec asked in a tight voice.

  Dash glanced at Nicole. “Do you remember when we were at Castle Arges? Well, I found this little beauty sitting on a table right in plain sight.”

  Nicole gasped. “You took that from Luciano?”

  Dash shrugged. “I figured we could make better use of it. This is why I suggested this trip.”

  “That was foolish,” Alec grumbled.

  Ethan was just staring at them with his mouth agape. “Do you have any idea who you just stole from? How dangerous he is?”

  “Sure, but I did it, not you guys. Besides, I’ll be beyond his reach, one way or another,” he added with a smile.

  “This doesn’t solve the problem of where this place is or even if it is?” Alec pointed out. “I don’t know if you realize this, but what Dash and Nicole experienced were visions. They didn’t actually go to this place. They both saw it while holding that medallion in their hand. Has it occurred to anyone that there could be something in that crystal that causes hallucinations?”

  Nicole shook her head. “Lex and my father claim it’s real. Plus, it is where Lex says he is from.”

  “But what do we know about that wolf? I mean, really. He starts showing up and giving us information. How do we know he isn’t leading us into a trap?” It was obvious Alec was agitated.

  “Well, he has helped us a lot, especially me,” I defended him.

  “No matter, we still don’t know how to find this place,” Alec said.

  “Sarah’s psychic. Maybe she can find it,” Dash offered.

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t work that way. I can’t pick and choose the information I get. If I were going to get something on the location of this place, I probably would have already.”

  “Maybe we should do this the old fashion way,” Nicole suggested. “We’ll ask around and see if anyone knows anything?”

  “Right! We are going to ask if anyone knows how to get to another dimension?” Ethan laughed. “They will send the police after us, thinking we’re a bunch of nuts.”

  “Do you have a better idea?” Nicole asked.

  Suddenly, Ethan perked up. “You know. I did bring along my infrared camera. It might pick up any electromagnetic fields in the area.”

  “Let’s try it,” Dash said, rubbing his hands together.

  A moment later, Ethan had the camera on and was scanning the horizon. As he slowly moved the camera to the east, white filled the digital screen. “I think we have our coordinates,” he told them. “There’s some major electromagnetic energy coming from that direction.” Ethan pointed toward the northeast.

  “We’re wasting time. Let’s get going,” Alec said.

  “Wait!” I spoke up. “Before we start moving again I need to use the restroom.”

  Leaving the others, I started walking toward the restrooms. Thankfully, the building had exterior lights, but they weren’t very bright. As I got closer, I saw that the side closest to the parking lot was the men’s room. The women’s restroom was on the other side of the building, out of sight of the parking lot and my friends.

  I hesitated. It was dark and though there was some light, it wasn’t much. Every nerve in my body started to tingle. Something wasn’t right. There seemed to be something out of place. The atmosphere had changed from a few moments ago. That little voice in my head urged me to run back to the van.

  But I really needed to use the restroom!

  Taking a deep breath, I walked around the building to the women’s restrooms and quickly went inside. The bathroom was brightly lit. This calmed my nerves some.

  Everything was fine until I was at the sink washing my hands. That’s when I heard a noise near the door.

  Tiptoeing to the door, I opened it just a crack to see if anyone was lurking nearby. There was nothing but buzzing insects near the outside light.

  Opening the door a little wider, I stepped out. A quick sprint to the van and it would be all over. I would be able to breathe easy again.

  I took one step and then froze. Someone was watching me. There was someone out there the darkness, just beyond the reach of the light.

  Although I’d only got a glimpse before he disappeared, there was something very familiar about him. I took a step toward the figure but was stopped by his words.

  “Don’t come closer.”

  The voice was raspy and hollow, but still familiar.

  “Darrien,” I whispered.

  “Go away,” he barked.

  I took another step, but the figure turned away and fled into the night.

  “Darrien!” I called after him.

  Nicole and the others came around the building. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “It was Darrien. He was right here.”

  “Sarah, you know that’s impossible.” Nicole’s voice was sympathetic but firm.

  “Well, she does see ghosts,” Dash offered. “Do vampires turn into ghosts do you think? I mean when the end finally comes?”

  “Dash!” Nicole gave him a look of disapproval.

  “Sorry,” he said, putting his arm around me. “Maybe it was that burrito you ate?”

  Turning to Dash, I gave him a death glare. “It was Darrien. I swear it was. And I don’t think he was a ghost. He didn’t act like a ghost.”

  “Ghost or not, whoever it was, they’re gone now,” Alec said.

  Ethan slapped his hands together. “We’re wasting time. Let’s go.”

  I followed the others to the van. Again Dash put his arm around me. “You know, Sarah, I’m a vampire too. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m getting ready to go away …”

  Nicole swung around to glare at him. “Dash!”

  “Sorry,” he grinned.

  “You’re terrible,” Nicole scolded.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nicole

  Back on the highway, Ethan rode in the passenger seat, his camera pointed out the window. We drove for about two miles before spotting a dirt road that led off in the direction the camera was picking up the electromagnetic energy.

  “Turn off here,” Ethan told me.

  Hitting the breaks, I slowed down so I could make the turn, without rolling the van. “It would have been nice to have a little more warning,” I grumbled.

  For the next twenty minutes, I followed the dirt road, turning off whenever Ethan directed me to. The road was getting rocky and difficult to drive on.

  “I don’t know how much further we can go without damaging the van,” I told Ethan.

  “It’s okay. You can pull off now. We are close.”

  As soon as the van came to a stop, Ethan jumped out and started walking. “Hey! Wait for us!” I yelled.

  Soon, we were all following Ethan. Sarah held the flashlight, pointing the beam of light on a narrow path. We walked only a short distance before coming to the mouth of a large cave.

  “The energy is coming from in there,” Ethan said.

  Everyone’s eyes rested on Dash.

  “Are you ready for this?” Ethan asked him.

  Dash took the medallion from his pocket and hung the chain around his neck. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

  “How do we even know this is what we are looking for?” I asked. “The energy could be coming from something else.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Ethan said.

  “Maybe we should go in with him,” Sarah offered. “So we can at least see what happens and that he
is okay.”

  “I agree,” I said with a nod.

  Dash shook his head. “This is something I need to do on my own. Imagine if I’m right, imagine the possibilities.”

  “Yeah, imagine if you’re wrong, about any of it,” I came back, my voice angry and shaking.

  Dash stepped closer and grabbed my hand. “You know you’re my best friend, don’t you?”

  I nodded, tears flowing down my cheeks. “And you’re my best friend, which is why I don’t want you to do this.”

  “Don’t be a silly girl. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “I left you the recipe. It’s in your desk at Ethan’s office.”

  “Thanks,” I tried to smile.

  “Just in case,” he added.

  Dash gave me a quick peck on the cheek before turning away. “Hey, if I’m wrong I’ll be back in a minute. If I’m right, well who knows?”

  We stood there watching as Dash disappeared into the cave. The minutes passed as we waited for him to return, but he didn’t.

  “Let’s go in and see what happened,” I suggested.

  “I don’t know.” Ethan was doubtful.

  “If it is a portal, it won’t matter because we don’t have one of those medallions. But if something’s happened to him in there, we need to find out,” I reasoned.

  “She’s right,” Alec said. “I’ll go in and check it out. The rest of you wait out here.”

  Alec returned a few minutes later with a puzzled expression on his face. “It only goes back about four feet, and then it’s a rock wall.”

  “It must have worked.” Ethan’s face lit up.

  “Yeah, but what do you think is going to be waiting for him on the other side?” My anger returned.

  “We’ll wait around for a while to see if he returns,” Alec suggested. “Even if he doesn’t, I’m sure he’ll find his way back sooner or later. There has to be a way back.” Alec tried to comfort me.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sarah