Page 56 of Dark Embrace

In the tussle, the stranger’s hat knocked free. Shaggy, dark hair tumbled across his brow and his gaze jerked up to lock with Sarah’s. Her vision narrowed to a tight black tunnel and she swayed where she stood,overwhelmed.

Shock and disbelief slapped her, and she sagged against the wooden cart as Killian slammed the man against the wall of thealley.

Her cudgel slipped from her hands to clatter against the stones, and she pushed herself upright, stumbledforward.

“Killian, no,” she cried. “He is...dear God...he is myfather.”

His forearm still pressed across the other man’s throat, Killian turned his head to look at her. His lips were peeled back in a feral snarl, his expression terrifying. But she was not afraid. Not ofKillian.

“He is my father,” she said again, joy and confusion, anger and shock all mixing together in abubblingbrew.

She almost ran to him, almost threw herself upon him, but Killian shifted so he stood between them and said, “Not yet,Sarah.”

She froze in her tracks. Her father bared his teeth as he snarled and clawed at Killian’s arm. It was clear that he was not merely trying to free himself, but to cause Killian harm. She recalled then what Killian had told her, how two of his kind could not inhabit the same territory. Her father was newly made. His instincts would surely overpower hislogic.

“Killian, he is my father. Please, you cannot…” Cannotkillhim.

He cut her a sidelong glance. “I am wellaware.”

Her father chose that moment to surge at him. Sarah cried out, but Killian had the situation well under control. He was stronger than her father and he had been vampire for farlonger.

He shifted his hold, keeping her father pinned with one hand, bringing his other to his lips. He tore open his wrist with his teeth and pressed the wound to herfather’slips.

“Drink,” heordered.

Her father struggled for an instant, then with a moan he latched onto Killian’swrist.

“Enough,” Killian said after a moment, and her father clutched at him in protest, but Killian was the stronger. He drew his wrist away and after another moment or two, he let go his restraint of her father. “Better?” Killianasked.

Her father made no answer, but he did not surge toward Killian in an attempt to attack, so she supposed it wasbetter.

“It is enough to dampen the blood rage, yes?” Killianasked.

Her father offered a curt nod, then his gaze slid to Sarah, his expression shifting to shock thendismay.

“You are together—” He broke off and stumbled back, looking between Sarah and Killian, shaking his head from side to side as though trying to clear a noise from his ears. “You arewithmy daughter, yet you are like me? A vampire?” His tone was edged withhorror.

“I am vampire,” Killianconfirmed.

For a moment, the three of them stood in an awkward, motionless tableau then her father turned to her and held his hand out in supplication. “Sarah—”

She was dizzy under the onslaught of emotion that buffeted her. A thousand words tumbled to her lips, but she could manageonlyone.

“Why?” she cried, her gaze locked on her father, her nerves frayed and twisted in a Gordian knot. “Why follow me? Frighten me? Never reveal yourselftome?

“Sarah,” he said, his voice rough, the single word imbued with pain and distress and love. Then he pressed his lips tight and saidnothingmore.

She advanced on him, her shock and joy at finding him alive melding with feeling of both anger and betrayal. “Why?” she demanded. “Why did you let me believe you were dead? Drowned? I mourned you. I cried a river of tears. My heart wasbroken.”

“No, I—” He brought his hands up before him, a gesture ofdespair.

“How could you—” She broke off and simply shook her head, too confused, too overcome by hurt and betrayal to formulate the slurry of her thoughts into any semblance of coherentspeech.

Again, she advanced, but Killian stopped her with a gesture. “He is vampire,” he said, and his meaning struck her. Her father was a vampire. She was human. Her blood was human, a siren’s song to one suchashe.

Horror clawed at her and she fell backastep.

“No!” her father said. “I wouldnever—”