to the spare room; gathered her torn clothes, unused camera, and purse; and went to the living room to place it next to the door. Then, she unwrapped the camera and tiptoed back to the master bedroom door. She’d missed the doctor’s office visit but she had to at least make sure Dao would survive until she could get him to a doctor later.
She did everything in her power to turn the doorknob and push open the door swiftly and silently. Lisse was lying on top of Dao, her head tossed back in bliss as she rode him. The covers were thrown off them both.
It was clear Dao was very much alive. But that didn’t make Sophie feel any better.
A long serpentine tail coiled under Lisse’s torso. The very tip twitched like a rattler’s tail.
Breathless with fear, Sophie raised the camera to her eye to snap the picture. The exact moment she pressed the button, Lisse twisted her neck to look at her and bared hooked, white fangs.
“How dare you!” the snakewoman hissed.
Sophie snapped several shots, then made a mad dash for the front door, her heart up in her throat. Tim was right! Poor, poor Dao. He was being drained of life by the woman he thought he loved.
Sophie left her friend’s house vowing to do whatever was necessary to get him away from that monster. She was so furious, she didn’t even remember driving to work. But, despite her mental gymnastics, she couldn’t come up with a single idea on how to save him.
She walked into the office, late as she said she would be, and answered Tim’s scowl with a wave of the camera. “I have your proof!”
“You’d better because I was ready to fire you. I’ve had to sit here all morning answering phones. I missed two appointments.”
“It’s here. I saw her. She looks like a hairy cobra. Scary.” She gave an involuntary shudder. “I never in a million years would’ve believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Vampires are real! Vampires…are real.” She dropped into her chair and hit the power button on her computer. She caught sight of the red burn marks on her wrists as she moved. “Oh, and there’s more.”
“More?” Tim grinned gleefully. “What? What?”
“I think one of her evil minions paid me a visit last night too. At first I thought it was a dream but take a look.” She held out her wrists for him to inspect. “He tied me up and the marks are still there.”
“Do I want to ask what he did after that?”
She felt her cheeks flame. “No, he didn’t…you know…you sicko. But he bit me.”
“Where?” Tim’s wide-eyed gaze flew to her throat.
“Not there. On the leg. But there’s no mark. Not even a little red bump. Nothing.”
“Mmmm. That’s bad.”
“It’s bad that there’s no mark?” Despite the fact that the bite had been on her leg, her hand flew to her neck.
“No, it’s bad that he bit you.”
“Why?” she asked, fighting another shudder. “Do real vampires carry some bizarre disease I need to know about? Or am I going to become one of them? I really, really like the sun. I don’t think I could live in eternal darkness.”
“It’s bad because that means he’ll have a certain measure of power over you the next time you see him.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, either. I pride myself in my independence and bullheadedness.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Sophie stuck her tongue out. Yes, it was juvenile, but then again, so was Tim’s comment. “What kind of power will he have over me? Will he be able to hypnotize me? Will I be like a zombie, unable to think for myself?”
“You’ve been watching too much late-night TV.”
“No, I don’t watch any TV at all—outside of The Apprentice. I’m addicted to that show, I admit it. I just have an active imagination.”
“Let’s put it this way, after one bite you might not become a zombie but you’d also find it mighty difficult to resist any commands he might make.”
Her heart stopped. “Even if they were to hurt someone I care about?”
Tim nodded gravely. “Even if they were to hurt someone you care about.”
“Shit.” Was Lisse trying to find a way to use her? To kill her husband? Oh no! “Is there a cure? Please, please tell me there’s a cure or I won’t be able to trust myself around anyone I care about, especially Dao.”
“There’re a couple of ways that I know of. One, you have to defeat the one who made him, if you can figure out whom that was.”
Defeat? Her stomach turned. She could just imagine what that would involve. “Could it be Lisse?”
“The lamia?”
“Yes. That’s the only Lisse I know.”
“It’s possible but unlikely. There’s no record of any progeny from the lamiae.”
“Shoot. Then I have no clue where to start. I didn’t even get the bloodsucker’s name. What’s option number two? I’m assuming there’s at least one other way. You said ‘couple.’ That implies two.”
“Yes, two. The other is to get another vampire to bite you. Not just any vampire, a member of another—”
“Not on your life! That hurt like hell. I’m not letting any more vampires near my person, under no circumstances. That option is out. Besides, it’s not like I can put an ad in the paper asking for vampire volunteers. Could you just imagine the freaks who would answer that ad? Crazies with a blood fetish. Or nuts who haven’t taken their happy pills for a few weeks. I wouldn’t know where to hunt down another real vampire.”
Tim shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you then.”
“In other words, you’re saying I’m screwed.”
Tim nodded again and patted her shoulder. “Sorry to say it but yes, I think so.”
“Shit.” How would she help Dao now? She didn’t even dare get near him.
“Say, do you mind if I take a few readings from you?” Tim asked, eyeing her like a scientist might a frog stretched out in a tin pan. “If you cooperate, I might be convinced to give you a bonus.”
“A bonus? What kind of bonus?” Sophie had a feeling that might come in handy very soon. She had no idea what it was going to take to save Dao and herself from the bloodsuckers, but she figured having Tim owe her a favor or two might be to her advantage. “Tell me your tests don’t involve needles? I hate needles. Or pain. And have I told you that blood—”
“Most of them are painless. But I know you’ll be a good sport. It’s for The Cause. I’ve never had the recipient of a real vampire bite in my office before.”
“Just
