A/N: Hey, guys! My apologies for being horrific at review replies, but please know I read and savor each and every one. The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain—well, mainly on Edward. Ready?

As always, thank you to my awesome prereaders, Keye, Sandy, and Aleea, for their thoughtful (and amusing) input.

Huge thanks to my amazing beta, Sue (chayasara), for getting this chapter back to me within hours. Mwah!

Chapter 26

~Demon Dust~

However long the night, the dawn will break. ~ African Proverb

A thick mist hangs over the village of Sanlucar de Guadiana. Fishermen gather along the riverside, shops open, and people gradually fill the streets ready to begin their day. The majority of the squat buildings in the village are bright white with red tiled roofs, the streets and alleyways narrow. Space is at a premium in the bustling little community. The residents seem happy, the area unspoiled by modern technology. Perhaps that's why James chose it for his hideaway.

From my perch across the water, I observe the townspeople and try to catch a glimpse of the compound. The tree cover is dense, and while I can tell where the compound is with my enhanced vision, it's still well-hidden.

"Good morning, sir." A young boy approaches from my left, and I nod in greeting. His clothes are tattered, and the skin on his face and arms has a patina of grime. "For you." He hands me a small square of paper.

If you're not from around here, and you have no appetite for the food served in the local restaurants, I may have something to offer. Money and clothes available in exchange for simple tasks.

"Wait," I command in a brusque voice.

The boy turns back, hesitant. His eyes dilate with fear. "I don't read English. Not my business."

I slip a fifty-dollar bill out of my pocket and tuck it into his hand. "Get a hot meal and some clothes."

His eyes widen at the sight of the money. He's probably never seen that large of a denomination before. If he's careful, it might last his family quite a while. "You want something?"

"If you could tell me why you gave this to me, I'd appreciate it." I hold up the slip of paper between my index and middle fingers.

"The rich man. He tells local boys what to look for—pale skin, strange eyes, really good looking. Then he rewards our families with food and medicine. It's never enough here."

"Do you know his name? Where can I find him?"

"Up there." He points up the mountain where I already know Hunter's compound lies.

"Thank you."

The boy saunters away, but he stops before getting onto a small boat docked by the water. "Sir? Don't go there. You seem . . . much nicer than the rest. He's . . . a bad man." He crosses himself then unties the boat.

I watch and listen to the buzz of the town, their voices and minds. Most of the inhabitants have no idea something has gone wrong, and they go about their lives as usual. Some of them know about the bodies and wonder if there's a new disease come to take from an area that doesn't have much left to give. Since all the deaths are outsiders, many wonder if there's something local they've become immune to that affects the pale faces. Then there are local boys, charged with providing for their families. They know something is wrong, that many of the slips they hand out result in desiccated bodies that turn to dust under their fingers.

By noon, the cloud cover has almost burned away, and the sun will break through soon. I follow a path to the causeway that leads to the edge of the village. Instead of heading into town, I take the path that forks left, heading into dense forest.

"What the hell were you waiting for?" Demetri, patient as ever, drops out of a tree in front of me.

"Recognizance."

"By watching the local yokels? What are you going to learn about Hunter from them?"

"I learned quite a bit. Most of the village hasn't a clue."

"I could've told you that." Demetri's face pinches into a sour look.

"The ones that have seen the bodies wonder if there's something local to them that's toxic."

"There is. James Hunter."

"And Hunter is paying local boys to recruit for him."

This stops Demetri in his sarcastic tracks. "He what?"

I hand over the slip of paper. "This is how he's finding his victims once they're in the area." I explain what the boy told me.

"Well, the fucker is clever. I'll give him that."

The trees surround us here, and they get even thicker as the mountain rises. The steepness of the stony paths ensures not many people would brave a broken ankle to sate their curiosity. Only a vampire could easily traverse this area.

"How did Hunter get up there?"

"There's one road in that comes up the back of the mountain. He's got it blocked off and guard-posted. Trust me—none of the locals have even attempted it. Once they saw the bodies, they've only looked this way with fear in their eyes."

"Where's Emmett?"

"He's inside the compound. I haven't been back up there since I saw him the other day. Figured I'd wait for you and we could deal with this together."

"Lead the way."

Demetri starts up the mountain, and I follow, shoving my hand in my pocket. My fingers close around the two ampules of blood that Carlisle insisted I bring with me. It wasn't much, but he reminded me it could be the difference between staying alive and desiccation. I accepted them.

Isabella's goodbye comes to mind. She pressed her warm lips against mine, her fingers twining in my hair. "Come home, Edward."

"I will. Promise." I pulled her up against me and pressed my mouth to hers, kissing her deeply.

And then Hannah came running across the yard. "Edwood!" She held out a chubby fist loaded with wildflowers. "These are for you, Edwood. Don't forget Nana."

I scooped her up with one arm and kissed her flushed cheek. "Thank you, princess. How could I ever forget you? Besides, I'll be back soon, and I want to see that Ariel puzzle all finished."

"Deal!" Her trusting eyes and innocent smile caused a lump in my throat.

I stick my fingers in the pocket of my jacket. The remnants of the dying wildflowers are there, a tactile reminder of the little girl and her mother who count on me.

"Earth to Edward." Demetri glances back at me.

I tilt my head, taking in his burnt umber eyes. "What have you been feeding on? Not humans."

He rolls his eyes. "Ugh. Don't remind me. With all the drama going on around here, I've been forced to dine on animals. I thought locals disappearing might add dangerous levels of fuel to the rumor mill." His lips twist in disgust. "I can't wait to sink my fucking teeth into buttery flesh."

"I hear you." I grin.

"Okay, the compound is just ahead." Demetri snags my arm and points. "That curves around to the right then straightens out. There are guards patrolling, motion lights and sensors, tripwires. You name it . . . this asshole has it. And I heard screams last night. Bet another body will be sent out soon."

I feel as if Demetri punched me in the chest, and I grab him by the neck. I want to slam him into the nearest tree, but we might draw attention. Instead, I squeeze my fingers tighter. "And you just thought to tell me about the screams now? It could be Emmett!"

He pries my hand from around his neck. "Edward, I needed you here in a solid frame of mind. If you go off half-cocked, we're all dead. I don't think it was Emmett."

"Why the fuck not?" I force the words out through gritted teeth.

"Another vampire came up the back way yesterday. He handed a slip of paper to the guards, and they let him through. Must have been one of the recruits."

"Let's go. We need to figure out what's happening."

We move stealthily through the trees, and Demetri points out the motion detectors, spotlights, and tripwires. I'm thinking we need to enter from above and drop down inside. From what I can see, Hunter's equipment won't register anything over twenty feet high. We can easily leap from the top of a tree and clear all of his security measures. I explain my plan to Demetri. Now we have to watch the guards and figure out their patrol patterns. I need to listen to their minds; I have no intention of killing innocent men.

We settle into the branches of a tree and keep watch. Ten minutes later, a solitary guard in a navy blue uniform patrols the perimeter with a large black dog that strains at its leash. We need to avoid the dog since animals instinctively fear vampires.

Five minutes later, two guards wearing similar uniforms walk the edge of the fence. One of them is Emmett. His navy button-down shirt pulls across his shoulders, the short sleeves showcasing his bulging arms, and he wears a cap pulled low over his eyes. His posture is ramrod straight, and a gun rides in a holster on his right hip. The guy he's with is short and wiry, but his demeanor says he's a badass more than willing to draw his pistol at the slightest provocation.

Demetri and I look at each other with surprise. I hold a finger up in front of my lips. I want to watch a full patrol before we consider anything.

Another single guard with a dog followed by a pair of guards goes by, all in five-minute intervals. Therefore it takes twenty minutes for a full revolution around the property. Calculating the time based on their gait, I now have an idea how big Hunter's compound is. All the guards are human with the exception of Emmett.

As the men go by, I listen to their thoughts. None of them expect trouble; a few wonder what Hunter is expecting to happen, and all of them find the job boring, but the money is too good to pass up. Emmett is the only one whose mind has some forward motion, but even he seems to be in a holding pattern.

On his second pass around the fence, I say his name. "Emmett."

His stride falters for a tenth of a second, nothing a human could detect. Eddie! It's about fucking time you showed up. I've been holding down the fort.

"What the hell are you doing in there?"

Hunter was hiring a guard, so I took the job. I figured we could get a look at things from inside the fence. Emmett flicked the brim of his hat.

"Does Hunter know you're a vampire?"

Fuck, no! Jesus, Edward . . . you should've heard the screams last night. It was too late—there was nothing I could do.

Something occurs to me. "Emmett, how have you avoided detection by the guard dogs?"

I just acted like a pussy, told them I'm scared to death of dogs 'cause I got bit by one as a kid. Easy peasy.

"When do you get off duty?"

In an hour.

"We'll be waiting out here for you."

Since I can hear Emmett's thoughts and Demetri can't, I have to explain the entire conversation again. Annoying.

~*RK*~

As dusk settles over the forest, Emmett joins us in the tree where we've been keeping watch. Hunter has infrared cameras, and a spotlight sweeps the perimeter of the fence every five minutes. The man is a paranoid fuck, but I suppose he has good reason to be when dealing with vampires. Does he know enough to realize bullets are ineffective? Or maybe there are others out there—humans—that want a piece of his unscrupulous ass.

"Hey, guys! I can't stay long." Emmett perches on a thick branch and grins at us.

"Why not?"

"Guards aren't permitted to leave the premises without permission. New guards aren't allowed to leave period. Not until their probation is over."

"How long is probation?" Demetri asks.

"Six weeks. Hunter is a controlling fucker. Not that I would know much about him. He doesn't consort with the peons that protect him."

I slip my cell out of my pocket and hand it to Emmett. "Call your wife. She's frantic."

Emmett dials and Rosalie picks up on the first ring. "Edward, is he okay?"

"Hey, baby."

"Em, what the hell? Is everything all right?"

"Are you worried about me? That's so sweet."

"Are. You. Okay?"

"I'm fantastic. And now that Eddie and Demetri are here, even better."

"Good, because when you get back, I'm going to kick your ass!" Rose's voice is shrill and strained. Demetri and I both cringe, but Emmett's smile widens.

"I miss you, Rosie. I can't wait to break a few beds when I get home."

"I'm going to break your thick skull."

"Aw, come on. You know you love me."

"Whatever. What's going on over there?"

"Not entirely sure yet. I'm working as a guard for that asshole Hunter. He has no idea I'm a vampire. It's fucking boring pretending to sleep in the bunk with the other guards, though."

As I listen to the banter between Emmett and Rosalie, pain blooms in the center of my chest. Isabella's beautiful face floats behind my eyes, and I press my palm against the space where my heart used to beat. Being away from her is both harder and easier than expected; I just need to keep myself occupied.

After a few minutes of baby talk, smoothing things over with Rose, and dirty little promises, Emmett finally hands me back my phone.

"Okay, Emmett, tell us what you know."

"Well, your cell phone will be useless in there. Hunter jams the signals. No communication gets in or out without his permission. Honestly, I haven't seen the guy even once. I only know he's here because of my bionic hearing. All the guards sleep in the hut. We have bunk beds, a shower room, and a small kitchen. There's a bookshelf with some magazines and books, but no outside technology is allowed. The TV is hooked up to a DVD player, but there's no cable. And none of these guys have any idea what's going on as far as I can tell."

"Have you heard anything of interest? If you haven't met Hunter, who do you deal with?"

"His right hand man, Laurent, handles the guards. Seems nice enough. I didn't really hear much of anything until last night." Emmett shudders. "Some vamp was escorted in. I was on patrol with Jimbo, and it would look suspicious if I stopped, so I had to keep going. I heard Hunter say he was trying out something new. Ten minutes later, bloodcurdling screams started. Eddie, they went on for like an hour. It sounded like he was ripping a human heart out while someone was still alive. What the fuck could you do to a vampire that could cause so much agony?" Emmett grabs at my sleeve. "The other guards . . . they don't discuss it. We were told to mind our business and do our job no matter what we see or hear."

My brother is scared. The three of us look at each other for a while but have nothing further to say. Eventually, Emmett announces he has to go. His partner agreed to cover for him so he could get some fresh air. He needs to feed before going back; beneath his contacts, his eyes are black.

Demetri and I sit in silence after Emmett leaves. I know all too well what could cause that much pain for a vampire. When I tasted Isabella's blood, it only took a small amount to drop me and send me into a comatose state. What could Hunter be doing that would keep a vampire conscious but immobilized in agony?

During the night, a body wrapped in black plastic is removed from the compound. The men wear black uniforms and seem harder—more in the know than the guards we encountered earlier. We follow them down the mountain, sticking to the trees to avoid being seen. They go deeper into the woods this time and dig a shallow grave. Their laziness from before cost them one of their own. The leader thinks about it as he stands there watching his underlings dig, lower the body, fill the hole in, and pat down the dirt.

He is now responsible for keeping the secret from the locals. A tall, burly man with lifeless brown hair—perhaps Laurent—informed him that his life was on the line. If he fucked up, he was dead.

We wait for an hour before we dig up the body. Not because the men might come back. We're immortal beings. There isn't much in this world that can hurt us, but whatever is going on here makes us just as mortal as any other living thing.

Demetri carefully unwraps the plastic, and for the first time, I see up close what almost happened to me.

The vampire is still in one piece. When vampires are perfectly still, not putting on a show for the humans, their skin resembles marble. They could almost pass for a statue, but not to another of our kind. The level of stillness we observe causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

Like all vampires, this one is unnaturally beautiful. His skin has a bluish tinge, and it sparkles even under the scant light from the moon. The eyes staring sightlessly up at the sky are not scarlet or amber; they are milky and devoid of color, like cataracts.

We crouch down next to him, and I run my index finger over the long, raven hair. It's brittle, and strands pull out and float away on the breeze. Demetri stands and backs away. I want to do the same, but I need to know more. I swipe a finger over the vampire's face, and his cheek caves in. The texture is gritty, like sand, but lighter, like dust. It's bluish and sparkles.

As I draw back, I notice a slip of yellow paper pinned to his shirt.

Come inside and maybe I won't kill the imposter pretending to be one of my guards.

This is the point where a human would vomit into the grass. Maybe run screaming.

We need to go into that compound and take care of business.

~*RK*~

A/N: Yes, things are about to get dicey. There are some interesting twists coming up, so hold on! I'd love to know what you're thinking now. You guys never fail to surprise me.

Working on the next update for I Want It Painted Black.

I've finished my novel, and now I'm working on my first set of edits. I have my next book all planned out, and I'm in discussions with my idea partner (the hubby) about my third. Despite how busy work on my original fiction is, I will continue writing fanfic and thank my loyal readers for their patience and support. I really have the best readers ever and treasure all of you.

Next chapter in two weeks. Sarita is cray cray with writing and editing projects.

Follow me on Twitter: SaritaDreaming or SarahAisling

Facebook: SarahAislingAuthor

Blog: SaritaDreaming . wordpress .com

An Archive of Our Own: archiveofourown .org users / SaritaDreaming