A Wind of Change (A Shade of Vampire #17)(20)

It sounded like it was coming from behind the barrier and yet, when I looked straight through it, I saw nothing but sand. Where is it coming from? It sounded so close.

Then there was a wailing—presumably a female’s.

The male voice spoke again. “Why don’t you go and spend the night with your boyfriend for a change?”

“Because he’s not mine anymore! He’s got a new girlfriend!” She sounded hysterical.

Where on earth are these people? I found myself looking in all directions, even down at the ground, wondering if there was some kind of bunker beneath me. No. It was coming from behind this strange invisible wall.

Clenching my fists, I called out, “Who are you?”

The man and woman fell silent.

Rapid footsteps crossed the sand, and then I heard deep breathing only feet away from me. My heart hammered against my chest. I felt a presence so close to me, and yet I still couldn’t see anyone.

Could they be… ghosts?

I shook myself.

Don’t be so stupid.

Ghosts don’t exist.

“What brings a young woman like you out here so late?” The male spoke.

I shuddered at the proximity of his voice.

“I’m looking for my sister,” I replied, even as I felt crazy for talking to thin air. “A six-year-old girl. She went missing about twenty-four hours ago. She’s plump, has brown hair, turquoise eyes and light tan skin. H-Have you—?”

Before I could finish my question, a cold hand shot out from nowhere and gripped my wrist. Next thing I knew, I was being pulled through what had previously been an impenetrable barrier. I landed on the ground near a pair of large feet. Shock coursing through my veins, I raised my eyes to see a tall, blond-haired, brown-eyed young man standing over me. He was terribly pale and there was a strange vibrancy to his irises, almost as though he were wearing special contact lenses.

“Yes,” he responded calmly, his gaze roaming the length of my body. “We have your sister. And now we have you.”

Chapter 6: River

I screamed as the man bent down and gripped my neck with his freezing hands. His grip was so strong, he could crush my windpipe with the slightest bit of pressure.

He raised me to my feet and stared down at me.

“Who are you?” I choked.

He ignored me and looked over at a blonde woman standing next to him. She also looked unnaturally pale. I strained to see where I’d just been pulled through. I was able to spot the white truck in the distance.

“Help!” I shouted.

“That’s it,” the man said softly, looking up toward where I was looking. “Call for help. See what good it does you.”

To my surprise, he let go of me. I made a dash toward the vehicle but smashed into the barrier again, the same barrier I’d just been pulled through. I continued yelling for help.

The truck’s engine roared in the distance and it began trundling down the sand dunes toward us, headlights on full blast. It approached near where I was standing, then drove right past. I could see Bashira and Fariss looking around in bewilderment.

They can’t see me.

I whirled around to see the man watching me with almost boredom.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

Ripping out the flashlight that was still stuffed in my belt, I hurled it at his face and darted in the opposite direction. Even though I couldn’t pass through the barrier, that didn’t stop me from trying to get as far away from this man as possible. I didn’t stop to see if the flashlight had hit its mark. Whatever the case, it hadn’t done enough damage because he caught up with me in a matter of seconds. He tripped me up and knocked me to the ground again.

“Come now,” he said, bending down closer to me and touching my cheek with his cold fingers. “No need to get us off to such a rough start.”

The blonde woman was now standing right next to us. Her eyes looked swollen from crying and black mascara stained her cheeks. “What are you going to do with this one, Michael?” she asked.

Michael.

“I need to consult Jeramiah,” he said.

Jeramiah?

I made another attempt to scramble away, but he was unnaturally fast. He’d gripped my waist before I’d even managed to stand up.

“You’ll do better not to struggle,” he said calmly.

Lifting me from the ground, he flung me over his shoulder. Then he lurched forward with such speed, it knocked the breath out of me. The wind whipped against my ears. It felt like I was falling, not being carried.

He stopped at a large trapdoor fixed into the sand. The blonde girl stooped and pulled it open, then Michael carried me inside. Still wrestling with me as I fought him, he descended a narrow staircase.

I gasped as we touched down on a shiny marble floor. We were standing on a platform surrounded by glass walls at the top level of a huge atrium. It had too many layers for me to count, and it was lavishly decorated, with a sprawling garden in the center and massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

“Who the hell are you?” I shouted again, kicking and pounding my fists against his back. He barely seemed to notice my struggle as he headed with me toward an elevator. Marilyn entered after us and pushed a button.

“Why don’t you just tell her?” the young woman said, rubbing her temples as the elevator began to descend. “Her questions are giving me a headache.”