Dark Cravings [Claiming Series, #2]

- 12 -

"Are you ready?"

Soren's question seemed to echo through Beth as if she had become cavernous space inside. "Yes." As ready as she could be. Soren had spent hours reading a book Asher had given him, the Roman Ritual for Exorcism. She knew he had tucked bottles of holy water in his pockets.

She knew he carried the necklace intended to bind Asmodai. He didn't want her to touch it until the right time, for fear Asmodai might smell it around her.

"How can a necklace smell?"

"I don't know that it smells. But it's powerful and his senses are different. You understand the plan?"

She nodded. There was an unoccupied third floor lost at the nightclub. They figured that was where the ceremony would happen.

"Ok," he said, "your cab is here. I'll walk you down."

"You're sure you can't ride with me?"

He shook his head. "But I'll never be out of eyesight, trust me."

She should have felt safe. Three vampires would be watching over her, two of them following her to the club, the third, Asher, already there to scope out the setup. Tommy wouldn't have the senses to notice them. She wished she could sure about Asmodai.

Recalling the icy, terrifying sense of presence she'd felt in her apartment, and once in Soren's, she wasn't certain anything could protect her. She had to square her shoulders and remind herself she couldn't continue to live this way. Tommy had to be stopped. Asmodai had to be stopped.

Soren helped her into the cab and slipped money to the driver. She looked back as the taxi pulled away, but Soren had already vanished, following from the rooftops perhaps, or moving so fast she simply couldn't see him anymore.

The trip to the club seemed at once to take forever and to be over too soon. All of ten minutes in actuality, with only light traffic most of the way. When she stepped out of the cab, she was greeted by garish neon lights, crowds of young people on the sidewalk.

For an instant she froze. The idea that there was safety in numbers didn't even occur to her. She had to remind herself that as far the vampires were concerned, there was no way she could vanish in this crowd. They could pick out her scent from a million others. A billion others at least that's what Soren had promised her. She had to believe him.

She passed the doorman who didn't even question her age, and stepped into the raucous interior, full of noise and strobing lights that made the floor vibrate beneath her feet, and faces so strange they looked almost inhuman flashed at her as she looked around wondering how in the world she would find Tommy in this mob.

"Beth." His voice in her ear made her jump. At this point she didn't know how loud he'd shouted her name, but she knew one thing for certain. Even if she'd come here innocently, his quick discovery of her would have roused her suspicious. Waiting for Tommy had for a long time been an inescapable part of her life. Finding that he was waiting so eagerly for her only confirmed the worst: Tommy wanted something. And most likely it wasn't her.

But she knew that already. She managed a cool smile and let him take her hand even though it made her skin crawl. No longer did she admire his dark hair and blue eyes, or that smile.

"I've got a table over here," he shouted.

She nodded and let him lead her. Of course it was the table in the farthest darkest corner. They won't lose me, she reminded herself. They can see in the dark. They can smell me. I'm not going to get lost.