during the next week, daisy's nightmares grew worse. night after night, she woke in tears. she couldn't eat, was afraid to sleep. tonight was no different. she woke with a start, the sound of her own cries echoing in her ears.

she sat up as the light came on and her mother entered the room and perched on the edge of the bed, a frown wrinkling her brow. "daisy, are you all right?"

"oh, mom..." with a sob, daisy fell into her mother's arms and, between sobs and hiccups, poured out the whole story of meeting erik and everything that had happened up to the time she came home. "mom, i don't know what to do."

"there's nothing you can do, honey," irene said, stroking daisy's hair. "you can't fix this."

"i have to try. i...i've got to go to him."

"daisy, what are you saying? thinking? you can't go back there. i won't let you put your life in danger."

"mom, i'm in love with him."

"daisy, what are you saying? he's not human."

"i don't care! i love erik. he saved alex's life. he saved my life. i can't just leave him where he is." daisy rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "he's suffering horribly. i know he is. i can feel it."

"but you don't even know where he is."

"i'll find him."

"find who?" noah asked, coming into the room. "what's going on?"

irene looked up at her husband. "tell her she can't go."

"go where?" noah asked. "do you two know what time it is? what the heck is going on?"

as quickly as possible, daisy repeated what she had told her mother only minutes ago.

by the time she finished, her father was sitting on the foot of the bed, his head cradled in his hands.

"noah, tell her she can't go."

"dad?"

slowly, daisy's father looked up and met her gaze. "you're a big girl, daughter. i don't approve of your involvement with delacourt. i don't understand how you can even associate with him after what happened to brandon but, like i said, you're a big girl. this is a decision you have to make on your own, but i'll back you up, whatever you decide."

"noah! what are you saying?"

"we owe it to him, irene. he saved alex's life."

"but--"

noah patted his wife's hand. "don't worry, honey, i'll be with her."

"no, dad," daisy said. "mom needs you here."

"hell, i'll go with her."

daisy glanced at the doorway as alex sauntered into the room.

"it's the least i can do, seeing as how the bastard saved my life."

"i won't hear of it!" irene said, her voice rising. "i've already lost one son. i won't risk losing the two of you. i can't! i won't!"

"all right, mom," daisy said quietly. "maybe you're right."

"of course i am. i appreciate what your...what the vampire...did, but..."

daisy squeezed her mother's shoulder. "it's all right, mom, i understand where you're coming from. i don't know what i was thinking," daisy said, yawning.

"come on, irene, let's go to bed." noah bent down and kissed daisy on the cheek. "i love you, daughter."

"i love you, too, dad. good night, mom. dad."

alex followed his parents out of the room. pausing in the doorway, he looked back at daisy and mouthed the words, "an hour."

erik breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the change in the atmosphere that signaled the rising of the sun. closing his eyes, he waited for the dark sleep to carry him away into oblivion. it was his only relief from the pain, the hunger, that engulfed him every waking minute. he had not prayed in years, but he prayed now, prayed that costain would come to end his existence, and with it, the agony that knifed through him with every breath. never, in all his years as a vampire, had he known such pain, such hunger. never had he been so desperate to end his existence. no matter what awaited him on the other side, it had to be better than this.

"mom and dad are never going to forgive us for this," daisy said as she tiptoed down the stairs behind alex. she hadn't taken time to pack anything except her compass, her kit, and her handbag.

"yeah, well," alex whispered back. "if this turns out the way i think it will, we won't have to worry about it."

daisy didn't say anything, but she was afraid her brother was right. going back to la when the master of the city was looking for the two of them certainly wasn't the brightest thing they had contemplated, but she knew she would never be able to live with herself if erik really was in trouble and she didn't try to help. she owed him that much, and so much more.

and she loved him. she just hoped she had a chance to tell him so before it was too late.

outside, alex called the airport and booked a midnight flight, then called for a taxi to pick them up on the corner. "no sense leaving one of our cars in the lot," alex remarked, "since i'm gonna pick up my car while we're in la."

if she hadn't been so anxious to get to la, she would have suggested they take erik's car, which was still parked in front of their house.

since it was late, they didn't have to wait long for a taxi. daisy stared out the window at the sleeping city. she hoped her dreams were just dreams, that when they reached la, erik would be safe at home. and if he wasn't...she bit down on her lower lip. if he wasn't, then she intended to find him even if she had to turn the city upside down.

it was cool and cloudy when they arrived at lax. due to some engine trouble and a layover in las vegas, daisy was a nervous wreck by the time they pulled out of the airport parking lot in the rental car alex had arranged for. it had been one thing to talk about saving erik when she was safe in her parents' home in boston, quite another now that she and alex were here, in the heart of rhys costain's domain.

the signs of the upcoming holiday could be seen everywhere, she thought as they drove through the dark streets, but it hadn't felt like christmas in her parents' home even though her father had insisted on putting up a tree. no one in the family felt like shopping and they had decided that, in lieu of presents, they would make a donation to brandon's favorite charity.

daisy was exhausted when they reached her house an hour and a half later. every yard but hers sported christmas lights and nativity scenes. after unlocking the door, she switched on the lights, then dropped her handbag on the sofa. she glanced around the room. everything looked the same, but she was different. so much had changed since she had been here last. in some ways, her life and that of her family would never be the same again.

"i'm not going to be worth anything if i don't get some sleep," she said, smothering a yawn.

alex stretched his arms over his head. "i know what you mean. we can't do much today, anyway, so what do you say we get a few hours of sack time and then figure out what we're going to do."

"sounds good to me."

still, as tired as she was, it was a long time before sleep found her.

chapter 29

awareness returned slowly. erik knew it was a sign of his waning strength that it took him a moment to remember where he was. ah, yes, costain's dungeon, he thought bleakly. his body ached; his veins felt tight, shriveled.

if he didn't feed soon, he thought he might go mad, but even that seemed preferable to the hunger that clawed at him relentlessly, demanding to be satisfied.

the faint click of metal against metal told him someone had opened the door. her scent preceded her.

it took an effort for him to gain his feet, but his pride wouldn't let her find him on the floor. "mariah, what in hell brings you here?"

her smile was decidedly nasty as she gestured at the chains that bound him. "how could i miss seeing you like this?" her gaze moved over him. "hungry, erik? i'll bet you'd like a drink." mariah snapped her fingers and a young man appeared at her side. using her thumbnail, mariah made a gash in the man's wrist.

the rich, sweet, coppery scent of hot fresh blood filled the air, so thick, so rich, erik could almost taste it on his tongue. he moved toward the bars, his fangs aching, everything else forgotten but the man. the mortal, an end to his torment, was close, so close. erik tugged on the chains that bound him. if he could just reach the man, he could quench the relentless thirst that burned through him...

mariah's laughter rang off the stone walls as erik tugged against the chains. "he's sweet," she said, her voice a throaty growl, "so sweet." her eyes went red as she sank her fangs into the man's neck. the hapless mortal winced but made no sound, no effort to push her away.

mariah drank, her gaze never leaving erik's face. when she finished, she let the mortal fall to the floor.

"i'll be back," she said, a smug smile twisting her lips. "i'll be the last thing you see before i send you to hell."

and so saying, she vanished from sight.

erik stared at the place where mariah had stood only moments before, her threat replaying itself in his mind. he was trying to determine what it meant when the man moaned softly. lifting himself on his elbows, he tried to crawl away, but he was too weak to drag himself for more than a foot or two.

a string of curses rose in erik's throat. the man wasn't quite dead. blood oozed from the wounds in his neck. the smell of it wrapped around erik until he could think of nothing else. in spite of the pain, he tugged against the chains, his only thought to reach the mortal who lay slowly dying just out of reach.

if he could bring the mortal nearer the bars before it was too late.... closing his eyes, erik tried to focus his thoughts, to meld his mind with that of the mortal, but he couldn't think, couldn't concentrate.

and then it was too late. the tantalizing scent of blood was replaced by the sharp stink of urine and the musty smell of death.

shrouded in despair, erik huddled in a corner of his cell and prayed that rhys would soon grow weary of whatever game he was playing and end it.