Madigan raised her head. One of the vampires was standing behind her. "You
can sit next to me. I don't bite."
The vampire chuckled at her joke and sat down on the rock next to her. "What are you?"
She recognized the voice as belonging to the one introduced as Paul. "I'm a witch."
"That's cool." He sounded nervous. She could hear him running his hand through his hair. "You're pretty." He blurted out and groaned.
Madigan giggled. "Not what you meant to say Paul?"
He shook his head then remembered she couldn't see him. "No. I was going for something a little less junior high school."
"Well, thank you. Though I have to take your word on it. I've never seen me." She turned her head toward the ocean spray.
Paul reached out and sank his hand into her hair. "Your hair is pale blond. Almost as light as David's. Very straight. You've got eyes so pale there almost isn't any blue in them. But your skin is golden, tan, you spend a lot of time in the sun."
Madigan closed her eyes, picturing what he described. She smiled as his fingers danced over her face, brushing over her cheek. "What about you?" She reached out and touched his face, running her fingers down his nose, over his lips. "What color is your hair?"
"Blond. Sort of yellowy blond." He leaned closer, his hand still in her hair.
"And your eyes?"
"Blue." Paul brought her other hand up and cupped her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
***
"I'm going out!" Lily called. David and Marko were the only ones still at the house.
Marko stuck his head out of the living room. "Be careful Princess."
She dropped a kiss on his cheek. "Always. Tell David I'll be home by midnight. I just have to check in at the store."
"Will do."
Lily looked over the monthly report for the store as she wandered down the boardwalk. It was doing well under Maria's management. Of course, Max's Video was the only video store in Santa Carla.
"Buona sera."
Lily turned around. A man was sitting on the railing, watching her. He was handsome, with pure black hair and green eyes. His hair was cut fashionably short and he wore black leather pants under a long leather trench coat with no shirt. "Hi."
"It's very late for such a pretty lady to be out alone." He spoke with an Italian accent.
Lily shrugged and glanced around her. "I can take care of myself."
"Still, it surprises me that your protectors would let you out without an escort." He pushed off the railing and came toward her. Lily started walking away but he appeared before her. "The Lost Boys don't take very good care of their principessa."
"Who are you?"
"My greatest apologies." He bowed low in a sweeping gesture. "My name is Nino. I am leader of the Malvagità." Six other vampires melted out of the shadows around them. They were all dressed in the same cyberpunk style, leather, vinyl and silver; each with different brightly colored hair. "Allow me to introduce my pack. This is my brother Nicolo."
Even if Nino hadn't told her, Lily would have known Nino and Nicolo were brothers. Nicolo was an exact copy of Nino, except for his bright blue hair. He watched her from his spot against the wall, blue eyes following every move. A blond young woman was leaning next to him, glaring at Lily. She was petite and slender and her hair had neon pink streaks through it.
"That is Ottavia. She's...fond of my brother." Nino pulled her attention from the angry vampire to another man. "This is Diego."
Diego reached out and captured Lily's hand, kissing the back of it. He was tanned; unusual for a vampire. Lily realized his skin had naturally been the rich café au lait color when he'd been alive. His head was shaved clean, the only one without vibrant colored hair. His dark brown eyes never left her face as he turned her hand over and put his mouth on her wrist, scraping his fangs over the vein in her wrist. Lily shivered and pulled her hand from his. Someone said something in Italian and the pack around her laughed.
"Enough." The one word from Nino made them fall silent. "Valentino and Isabella are brother and sister." He waved his hand at the pair entwined in the shadows. Isabella turned and looked at Lily with luminous silver eyes. When Valentino looked up, his eyes were the same. They both had dark hair streaked with bright red hanging down their backs in braids. "They're very close." Nino remarked with a smile before introducing the last member of his pack. "And this is Mauro. He's our troublemaker."
"No more than the rest of you, Nino." Mauro circled Lily and Nino. His shoulder length hair was unbelievably green, the same shade as his emerald eyes. His sensuous mouth curled up into a smile. "Isn't she a little catch? What would your pack say if they could see you now?" He reached out and cupped her cheek. Lily automatically took a step back and found herself in
Diego's arms.
"Let go of me." She demanded but he ignored her.
Nino cocked his head to the side. "Now, what should we do with you?"
"Kill her." Ottavia growled. "Gut her and use her insides to decorate our home."
"Interesting." Nino looked at Ottavia. "But disgusting. No, I think we want to leave this one alive. Let her lead us to those who would destroy us."
Lily fought harder against Diego. He put his mouth against her ear. "Don't fight." His voice was deep, rumbling in his chest. "It won't hurt if you don't fight."
She realized what he was telling her. "NO!" She screamed and renewed her struggle against him. "Let go of me! David! DAVID!" Lily screamed as loud as she could, throwing her mind out to the Lost Boys.
"Shh, piccola, shh." Nino reached out and cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. Diego pushed her head to the side but Nino shook his head. "Let her go Diego. She's frightened."
Diego released Lily and disappeared with the rest of the pack. Lily didn't move, her gaze still on Nino.
He stepped closer. "I won't hurt you cara mia." He whispered before he struck. When her legs gave way, his arms went around her.
"Let her go!"
Nino lifted his head from Lily's throat and looked over his shoulder. The Lost Boys stood behind him. David stood at the front, the other Boys fanned out behind him. Nino turned, Lily still in his arms, her head lolling back against his shoulder.
David took a step forward. "I said let her go." Dwayne growled, his eyes narrowing at Nino.
"So I finally meet the infamous Lost Boys." Nino smiled. "I thought you would be," He paused to choose his words, "taller."
"You're in our territory." Marko told him.
Paul glanced at Lily before speaking. "By rights, we should kill you."
That made Nino laugh. "But I have your princess. You wouldn't kill me."
David smiled coldly. "We won't kill you today. Just give her to us and we'll let you go."
Nino leaned down so his lips were next to Lily's ear. "Dream of me, cara mia. Crave my touch. Yearn for the day when I will call you to me." He straightened and shoved Lily toward the Lost Boys. David stepped forward and caught her before she hit the ground.
The Boys crowded around them as David lowered Lily to the boardwalk. She was still unconscious. The bite on her neck was already healing.
"We've got to get her home. I don't know what he said to her but it can't be good." David picked her up and turned to Paul. "Go find Madigan. If he knows about her, she could be in danger." He told the blond vampire and then took to the air.
The vampire chuckled at her joke and sat down on the rock next to her. "What are you?"
She recognized the voice as belonging to the one introduced as Paul. "I'm a witch."
"That's cool." He sounded nervous. She could hear him running his hand through his hair. "You're pretty." He blurted out and groaned.
Madigan giggled. "Not what you meant to say Paul?"
He shook his head then remembered she couldn't see him. "No. I was going for something a little less junior high school."
"Well, thank you. Though I have to take your word on it. I've never seen me." She turned her head toward the ocean spray.
Paul reached out and sank his hand into her hair. "Your hair is pale blond. Almost as light as David's. Very straight. You've got eyes so pale there almost isn't any blue in them. But your skin is golden, tan, you spend a lot of time in the sun."
Madigan closed her eyes, picturing what he described. She smiled as his fingers danced over her face, brushing over her cheek. "What about you?" She reached out and touched his face, running her fingers down his nose, over his lips. "What color is your hair?"
"Blond. Sort of yellowy blond." He leaned closer, his hand still in her hair.
"And your eyes?"
"Blue." Paul brought her other hand up and cupped her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
***
"I'm going out!" Lily called. David and Marko were the only ones still at the house.
Marko stuck his head out of the living room. "Be careful Princess."
She dropped a kiss on his cheek. "Always. Tell David I'll be home by midnight. I just have to check in at the store."
"Will do."
Lily looked over the monthly report for the store as she wandered down the boardwalk. It was doing well under Maria's management. Of course, Max's Video was the only video store in Santa Carla.
"Buona sera."
Lily turned around. A man was sitting on the railing, watching her. He was handsome, with pure black hair and green eyes. His hair was cut fashionably short and he wore black leather pants under a long leather trench coat with no shirt. "Hi."
"It's very late for such a pretty lady to be out alone." He spoke with an Italian accent.
Lily shrugged and glanced around her. "I can take care of myself."
"Still, it surprises me that your protectors would let you out without an escort." He pushed off the railing and came toward her. Lily started walking away but he appeared before her. "The Lost Boys don't take very good care of their principessa."
"Who are you?"
"My greatest apologies." He bowed low in a sweeping gesture. "My name is Nino. I am leader of the Malvagità." Six other vampires melted out of the shadows around them. They were all dressed in the same cyberpunk style, leather, vinyl and silver; each with different brightly colored hair. "Allow me to introduce my pack. This is my brother Nicolo."
Even if Nino hadn't told her, Lily would have known Nino and Nicolo were brothers. Nicolo was an exact copy of Nino, except for his bright blue hair. He watched her from his spot against the wall, blue eyes following every move. A blond young woman was leaning next to him, glaring at Lily. She was petite and slender and her hair had neon pink streaks through it.
"That is Ottavia. She's...fond of my brother." Nino pulled her attention from the angry vampire to another man. "This is Diego."
Diego reached out and captured Lily's hand, kissing the back of it. He was tanned; unusual for a vampire. Lily realized his skin had naturally been the rich café au lait color when he'd been alive. His head was shaved clean, the only one without vibrant colored hair. His dark brown eyes never left her face as he turned her hand over and put his mouth on her wrist, scraping his fangs over the vein in her wrist. Lily shivered and pulled her hand from his. Someone said something in Italian and the pack around her laughed.
"Enough." The one word from Nino made them fall silent. "Valentino and Isabella are brother and sister." He waved his hand at the pair entwined in the shadows. Isabella turned and looked at Lily with luminous silver eyes. When Valentino looked up, his eyes were the same. They both had dark hair streaked with bright red hanging down their backs in braids. "They're very close." Nino remarked with a smile before introducing the last member of his pack. "And this is Mauro. He's our troublemaker."
"No more than the rest of you, Nino." Mauro circled Lily and Nino. His shoulder length hair was unbelievably green, the same shade as his emerald eyes. His sensuous mouth curled up into a smile. "Isn't she a little catch? What would your pack say if they could see you now?" He reached out and cupped her cheek. Lily automatically took a step back and found herself in
Diego's arms.
"Let go of me." She demanded but he ignored her.
Nino cocked his head to the side. "Now, what should we do with you?"
"Kill her." Ottavia growled. "Gut her and use her insides to decorate our home."
"Interesting." Nino looked at Ottavia. "But disgusting. No, I think we want to leave this one alive. Let her lead us to those who would destroy us."
Lily fought harder against Diego. He put his mouth against her ear. "Don't fight." His voice was deep, rumbling in his chest. "It won't hurt if you don't fight."
She realized what he was telling her. "NO!" She screamed and renewed her struggle against him. "Let go of me! David! DAVID!" Lily screamed as loud as she could, throwing her mind out to the Lost Boys.
"Shh, piccola, shh." Nino reached out and cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. Diego pushed her head to the side but Nino shook his head. "Let her go Diego. She's frightened."
Diego released Lily and disappeared with the rest of the pack. Lily didn't move, her gaze still on Nino.
He stepped closer. "I won't hurt you cara mia." He whispered before he struck. When her legs gave way, his arms went around her.
"Let her go!"
Nino lifted his head from Lily's throat and looked over his shoulder. The Lost Boys stood behind him. David stood at the front, the other Boys fanned out behind him. Nino turned, Lily still in his arms, her head lolling back against his shoulder.
David took a step forward. "I said let her go." Dwayne growled, his eyes narrowing at Nino.
"So I finally meet the infamous Lost Boys." Nino smiled. "I thought you would be," He paused to choose his words, "taller."
"You're in our territory." Marko told him.
Paul glanced at Lily before speaking. "By rights, we should kill you."
That made Nino laugh. "But I have your princess. You wouldn't kill me."
David smiled coldly. "We won't kill you today. Just give her to us and we'll let you go."
Nino leaned down so his lips were next to Lily's ear. "Dream of me, cara mia. Crave my touch. Yearn for the day when I will call you to me." He straightened and shoved Lily toward the Lost Boys. David stepped forward and caught her before she hit the ground.
The Boys crowded around them as David lowered Lily to the boardwalk. She was still unconscious. The bite on her neck was already healing.
"We've got to get her home. I don't know what he said to her but it can't be good." David picked her up and turned to Paul. "Go find Madigan. If he knows about her, she could be in danger." He told the blond vampire and then took to the air.