“Why would you do that?” Kadie exclaimed, appalled.
“I need to see Saintcrow.”
Kadie shook her head. “And you thought he’d feel sorry for you if you were injured?”
Unleashing some of his power, Rylan said. “I’m Saintcrow.”
The kid took a wary step backward as power washed over him.
“Why did you want to see me?” Saintcrow asked.
“I’m not sure. I was home in Indiana when I felt this sudden urge to come to Wyoming and find you.” He took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy in his eyes. “I want your blood,” he said. “Ican smell the power in it.” Hands forming into claws, his eyes going red, he sprang toward Saintcrow, his fangs raking across Saintcrow’s shoulder.
Saintcrow reacted instinctively. A burst of preternatural power slammed into the kid, ripping through his heart, lifting him off the ground and smashing him into the pavement with the force of a jack hammer. The kid shuddered once as preternatural power destroyed him from the inside out and then lay still.
Kadie stared at the boy, wide-eyed. She had seen Rylan kill before, but never like that.
Saintcrow swore under his breath. Damn, he hadn’t meant to kill the kid, just teach him a little respect. He flinched when Kadie turned her gaze on him.
“I told you to stay home,” he said, his voice harsh. “Dammit! Stop looking at me like I just killed a puppy!”
“Rylan...”
“Go home, Kadie. Please.”
“What are you going to do with the body?”
“I’ll hide it in the desert. The sun will destroy the corpse in the morning.” He could see she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. Instead, she kissed him on the cheek and vanished.Shit!Just when he thought things were getting better, this had to happen. Hands shoved into his pockets, he made his way back across the bridge toward the town. Maybe it was time to return to the past, to turn Morgan Creek into a haven for vampires again.
Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it would never work. Modern technology had taken care of that. Morgan Creek was too well-known. Cell phones were everywhere. Drones occasionally flew overhead. From time to time, inspectors came by to check the restaurants and the other businesses. There was no way to fly under the radar these days.
“Just as well,” he muttered, even as he wondered what to do about the vampires lurking in the vicinity, hoping for a taste of his ancient blood.
He was debating whether to go home or give Kadie some space when Kincaid materialized beside him.
Kincaid glanced back at the body then looked at Saintcrow, one brow arched. “Another one?” he asked.
Saintcrow grunted. “This one makes eight. He’s the first one I’ve had to kill.”
“This has to have something to do with whatever it is that’s eating at you,” Jake said.
“Have you heard anything from Alara?”
“No.”
Saintcrow swore under his breath. “I thought whatever the hell was driving me was fading but...” He jerked his chin at the body. “I guess not.”
“What happened?”
“He wanted my blood. He came at me and...” Saintcrow shrugged. “I didn’t mean to kill him. The hell of it is, Kadie was with me.”
“Ah. Not good.”
“Just my luck to fall in love with a tender-hearted woman. I’m surprised she didn’t leave me years ago.”
“You and me both.”
“Thanks,” Saintcrow said dryly. “Where’s Rosa?”