Dangerous Girls Read Free Page B

man had silver-gray eyes, a stubble of white beard. He wore a navy-blue suit and had a navy cape draped over one shoulder.
    Destiny watched the two shake hands. She understood. Renz recognized the man from his ship, the ship that carried him to America. Yes, the man was from Renz’s village.
    Destiny cried out as the happy reunion suddenly turned violent.
    The white-haired man pushed Renz against the building wall. Destiny watched the yellowed fangs curl down. Watched the man sink his teeth into Renz’s throat and drink, blood running down the front of his dark suit.
    Then Renz bit hard into the old man’s neck and began to lap up his blood. They were drinking each other’s blood! She couldn’t bear to watch.
    She closed her eyes, but the images continued to flood her mind. She saw Renz prowling the streets once again, but this time at night, only at night. She watched him attack birds andsquirrels in the park, sink his teeth into their bellies, and drink.
    And she felt his thirst, felt the overpowering need that forced him to seek out victims—human victims—and drink, drink until the thirst was momentarily quenched.
    She saw him struggling to keep his secret. And then she felt his fear as he realized his secret had been uncovered. Men were collecting weapons, preparing to hunt him down. She felt his terror, and then she watched him flee.
    She saw a blur of towns and villages cloaked by the dark of night. And she watched him settle far away from the city, far away from those who meant to destroy him. A small New England town where the winters were long and the days were short.
    Another blink. She saw Renz in the moonlight with a beautiful young woman. The woman dressed in a simple blue gown, her blond hair flowing down the back of her dress.
    She looks like me, Destiny realized. And at once, she knew the young woman’s name: Laura. The high cheekbones, the green eyes, the fine blond hair…Laura resembles me so much.
    Except for the sadness in her eyes.
    Such sad eyes.
    Destiny saw how much Renz loved Laura. He adored her. And then in another blink of her eyes, she saw Laura’s open casket. The sad eyes shut forever. It happened so quickly.
    She saw Renz’s angry tears. And heard his angry, desperate vow to find Laura again. To be reunited with her no matter how many decades or centuries it took.
    Destiny saw it all as the stars swirled above her and the sky continued to spin.
    But I’m not Laura, she told herself, the world so distant now as if she saw it through a curtain of gauze.
    I’m not Laura.
    So what does he want with me?

Chapter Five
“I’ll Follow You Home”
    R enz gazed down at her, breathing deeply, feeling the cool night air brush against his hot face. He licked his lips, the rich, iron-tasting liquid so sweet on his tongue.
    The lake lapped gently against the grassy shore. Trees whispered and shook. Somewhere a night dove cooed. Renz felt alive again; alive and strong.
    He felt happy, almost giddy. Reunited with his lost love.
    He wanted to shout it into the wind. He wanted to fly over the lake, crying her name.
    â€œLaura…Laura…!”
    But first we must finish, he told himself. I have drunk deeply. And now it is her turn.
    I’m here, darling. I know you have waited as long and impatiently as I have.
    He had searched for Destiny at the last full moon. But to his dismay, she had left camp on acanoeing overnight. He had to wait four long weeks for the full moon to rise again.
    And now finally, here she was in his arms, ready to take the final step.
    â€œOh.” He raised his head abruptly, hearing the snap of a twig on the ground.
    No . No . No .
    He pulled himself up. Tilted Destiny’s head up. Slid his arm around her shoulders.
    He could smell someone approaching. A girl. He could hear the blood pumping through her veins before she even appeared.
    He turned as Nakeisha stepped into view.
    â€œDestiny? I was looking for