The Living Night (Book 1) Read Free Page A

Ruegger, still carried a heady
fragrance.
    "I guess our vision quest is over,” she
said.
    “We can’t continue it with death-squads after us.
Besides, it's almost time for the sled race."
    "We wouldn't want to disappoint
Ludwig."
    She sat down around a large blackened pit, which
looked to be a sort of fireplace, and Ruegger joined her. Immediately, a flame
came to life, and lusty smoke billowed from the fire. There didn't seem to be a
vent anywhere, but then the pit was mystical. The vampires stared into the
fire. The world grew red and violent for a while, but the odd flock stayed that
way, holding hands and taking comfort in each other.
    “We need to leave,” Ruegger said. “Jarvick could
gather reinforcements or alert a more motivated team to our whereabouts—that’s
if he’s not out there right now, waiting for us.”
    She glared at the door. "I guess we can call
a helicopter to get home—I mean, without the camels, and with Jarvick …”
    She crossed over to the computer in the corner,
booted it up and accessed the internet, which was surreal to have out here, but
the suka didn’t skimp on providing for their gods.
After she digitally summoned a helicopter, she checked their email.
    "There's a message from Ludwig," she
said, referring to Ruegger's oldest friend. Ruegger and Ludwig had met while
still human and crossed over into immortality within a month of each other. Now
Ludwig lived with his wife in their ice-encrusted compound in Northern
Alaska.
    "What's he say?" Ruegger asked.
    "He says …” Danielle made a face “… there's
a hit out on us and for us to get our asses up to Alaska for his annual winter solstice
dog-sled race."
    "We should check our email more
often."
    She considered. "The solstice is only a few
days away."
    "He knows we'll be there. We always
are."
    "How does he know we're on a black list,
though? This message is three weeks old!"
    "Strange. Maybe …” He frowned. “Could
Ludwig know who's after us?”

 
 
 
    Chapter 2

 
    Ruegger
stared out into the pulsating violet that surrounded them, sitting with
Danielle on the floor of the plane that they'd sent for in Anchorage. Wrapped up in an orange patchwork
quilt, the vampires jounced to the small plane’s rhythm as it tore its way
north during the middle of Alaska's
annual three-month night. Lightning flickered below.
    "Don't you love the storm?" Danielle
said, exhaling spicy clove smoke.
    “Always.”
    Mardi Gras jazz knocked its way up from the
dusty speakers of the private room, mixing with the swirl of incense, hash, and
cloves. Multi-colored lava lamps (red, orange, blue and green) swelled
luminously from different pockets of the compartment, the only light except for
a Chinese paper lantern that rocked from the ceiling. The lights cast strange
and comforting hues across the interior of the plane as the vampires shared the
cigarette and let their sweat mingle beneath the patchwork quilt.
    Danielle sucked in another clove-flavored hit as
she moved to the window and peered out, and the cigarette crackled as she
inhaled. How she could tolerate those things Ruegger didn’t know, but he
pretended to enjoy them for her benefit.
    He watched as she made her way back to him,
seeing her lean nude body, small firm breasts, ribs just visible, pubic hair
damp and soft below her skinny stomach and the gentle slope south of her navel,
where a single silver loop gleamed.
    He held the quilt aloft and she slid smoothly
in, her lips brushing his shoulder.
    " Ahh ," she sighed,
tilting her head to better listen to Frankie Ford's fast-paced,
steam-whistle-blowing rendition of "Sea Cruise".
    “Reminds me of New Orleans,” she said. Turning to Ruegger,
she said, “I bet you can’t wait to see Ludwig.”
    "Good bet.” With every mile that took him
closer to his old friend, the memories of their times together grew in him.
    “Go on,” she said. “Tell me. You’ve told me so
little about your past.”
      And for good reason .