Turning onto her side, she closed her eyes, and prayed that the things Derek feared the most would never come to pass.
One way or another, things would come to a head when the moon rose tonight.
Chapter Thirty
“I win!” Pearl exclaimed, tossing her cards onto the table. “That’s three games in a row.”
“You always were lucky at cards,” Edna remarked. “I think you cheat.”
“Well, of course I cheat,” Pearl said. “Are you just now realizing that?”
“What? You mean to sit there and admit that all these years you’ve been cheating me, your best and only friend?”
“It’s more fun than losing, dear.”
Edna had worked herself up into a fine lather when there was a knock on the door of their hotel room.
Pearl met Edna’s wide-eyed gaze. “What is she doing here?” she asked in a barely audible whisper.
“Let me in and I’ll tell you.”
Gathering her courage, Pearl opened the door. “Mara,” she said, “how nice to see you again.”
“Spare me your fake hospitality. I need your help.”
Pearl glanced at Edna. “You need our help?”
“The serum you were working on during the war. Do you have any left?”
“No.”
“Can you cook up another batch?”
“Are you thinking of trying it on Derek?” Edna looked at Pearl with an I-told-you-so expression.
“I don’t know what else to do. This, this . . . whatever it is, is tearing him up inside. I know I should have come to you sooner.” Instead, her pride and distrust had cost them valuable time.
“I have the formula memorized,” Pearl said. “Of course, there’s no guarantee it will work.”
“It killed two of the werewolves when you tried it before,” Mara said.
“True, and that’s what you want to happen now, isn’t it?”
“Only if you’re sure it will destroy the werewolf gene without killing my son in the process.”
“The results with the vampires was mixed,” Edna remarked. “It cured two of them, but had no effect on Rafe. Of course, those vampires were very young, as I recall. Isn’t that right, Pearl?”
“Yes, dear. With a few modifications, I think we can adjust the formula so it will kill the werewolf gene without hurting the host.”
Mara’s eyes narrowed. “What kinds of modifications?”
Pearl tapped her forefinger against her lips. “Well, for starters, I think we need to add a bit of wolf’s bane for added killing power, and a few drops of your blood.”
“My blood? Why? It’s already running in his veins.”
“A little fresh vampire blood couldn’t hurt.”
“Can you have the serum ready in time?”
“Goodness, no,” Pearl exclaimed. “We have to collect the ingredients and prepare them properly. That will take several days. And it has to cook for at least forty-eight hours.”
“We don’t have forty-eight hours!” Mara snapped.
Pearl squared her shoulders. “Then you were right. You should have come to us sooner.” She cringed when the ancient vampire’s eyes went red. I’m dead, she thought, and clapped her hand over her mouth.
Mara glared at her, then nodded. “Just do what you have to do.” With a wave of her hand, she was gone.
Pearl collapsed in Edna’s arms. “I thought I was a goner for sure,” she exclaimed.
“I thought we both were.”
“We’d better pray this batch works,” Pearl murmured, then grabbed Edna by the hand. “Come on, we need to get to work.”
“All right,” Edna said, “but I want to be near Derek when the moon rises.”
“Edna . . .”
“Don’t you ‘Edna’ me. I want to see him change. It’s the reason we came here, after all!”
Chapter Thirty-One
Sheree.
She smiled faintly as the sound of his voice penetrated her dreams.
Sheree. I need you.
She rolled over, still half asleep, expecting to see him sitting beside her, but there was no one there. A glance at the window showed the sun had not yet set. Sighing, she closed her eyes again and snuggled under the blankets.
Sheree! Come to me.
It wasn’t a request, but a command, one she could not resist. Rising, she drew on her bathrobe, then made her way to the dungeon.
Derek stood near the cell door, his hands wrapped around the bars, his knuckles white. Get the keys. They’re on a nail on the wall.
She didn’t want to obey but she was powerless to resist. The keys felt like ice in her hand.
Unlock the door, then remove the chain from my ankle.
Her mind screamed for her to refuse, but his will was stronger, his voice irresistible. She jabbed the key in the lock, then stepped into the cell.