Blood Red Dawn Read Online Free Page A

poison can’t be arrested or reversed, but is allowed to continue in its purpose, it means, simply, that Deirdre won’t be a vampire for much longer. The change is occurring rapidly in the dormant blood samples. I’ve no way to gauge how quickly it could occur in her, but I can only assume the process will be accelerated.”
    â€œAnd when she changes? What then? She’ll be human?”
    â€œNo, as far as I can tell she won’t be human either.”
    I reached over, grabbed my glass, and drained half of it in one gulp. It didn’t help. Laying my head against the back of the couch, I closed my eyes for a second, trying to get a grip on what Sam said. Deirdre, not a vampire? Not human? Transforming into what? What the hell else was there?
    When I opened my eyes again, Vivienne nodded at me. I’d never seen her this serious. Ever. And with a cold slap of realization I saw that she was frightened. Frightened for Deirdre. Frightened for herself. Frightened for all of us. This very formidable woman had lived through the French Revolution, lived through the destruction of Cadre headquarters, lived through the recent years of persecution and through God knows how many other disasters and tragedies, and had managed all of it with a smile on her face, secure in her self and her powers. And she was frightened now?
    Shivering slightly, I finished my drink and slammed the glass down on the coffee table. Both Sam and Vivienne jumped and I gave them a weak smile. “Sorry. It slipped. So what do we do now?”
    Sam looked guilty. There was more he wasn’t telling me. What on earth could be worse than what he’d already said? “We go and find her, if she’s not already back, Mitch. And then we’ll see what I can find out. There may very likely be a way to hold back the change, maybe even to reverse it. I feel sure of it. But I can’t do anything unless she’s present.”
    â€œAnd if there’s not a way?”
    Sam looked away, but Vivienne got up from her perch on the arm of the chair, crossed over to me, and placed tiny cold hands on my cheeks, searched my face with gray eyes slightly misted over with tears. “She will die, Mitch, mon amour. She will die.”

Chapter 3
    T he abbey was deserted when we got there. No sign of Deirdre, no sign of anyone else either. Even by Whitby’s tough standards it was a cold, wet night. And everything was so quiet. Too quiet, as they’d say in the old war movies I liked to watch. Even the sound of the ocean was muted, as if the world stood still.
    All three of us took turns calling her name and only the eerie echoes of our voices answered back.
    I pulled my black T-shirt over my head and unbuckled my belt.
    â€œMitch?” Sam gave me an odd look. “I doubt that she’s swimming in this cold.”
    Vivienne gave a half laugh and patted him on the cheek. “No, no, mon cher, you misunderstand. He is going to change his form, which is an excellent idea. And I will join him. We can cover more ground that way, as well as get better scents. So turn your back, please, Sam, and we will get on with it.”
    I glanced at Viv, surprised at her modesty. She smiled and shrugged. “I do not wish to be observed during the change. Sam knows this, but he insists on trying to sneak a peek anyway.”
    â€œResearch,” he grunted. “No other reason than that.” But he folded his arms and turned his back.
    I undressed completely and moved into my wolf form almost immediately. Not a painful experience for me, the transformation was almost a celebration of life, of the power I possessed. Deirdre struggled with it, always, fearful of dropping her human form for too long. She clung to her humanity, nurtured it. I couldn’t blame her, I suppose, we are what we are. I’d not have wanted her any different. As for me, though, I had no compunction about changing. During my years on the force, I’d