Vampire Moon by J.R. Rain Page A

out.
     
              
     
              
     
              
     
               Chapter Twenty-four
     

     
              
     
              
     
               It was almost sunrise and I was feeling my energy fading.
     
               I had already warned Monica of my “condition”. That is, she thought I had a rare skin disease that kept me out of the sun, which, of course, necessitated me keeping odd hours. She promised she would let me sleep during the days, and that she would not leave the hotel room on her own. I told her to wake me if she needed anything, but that I didn’t awaken easily; she would have to give me one hell of a good shove, or two. I told her she could do just about anything she wanted, other than leave the suite, open the curtains, or answer the door.
     
               She agreed to my terms, and for her sake, I hope she honors them.
     
               My body was shutting down. Quickly. I felt vulnerable and weak and easy to subdue. But even at my weakest, I still couldn’t be killed, unless someone drove a stake through my heart.
     
               And why would anyone want to do that to such a sweet little thing?
     
               Vampires might be immortal, but we sure as hell felt human about this time; that is, just before sunrise. (And, no, I didn’t sleep in a coffin. Just give me a bed, darkness, and some peace and quiet.)
     
               When I shut down, I do so in waves. The first, a draining of energy, always hits me about a half hour before sunrise. And ten minutes before the sun came up, the second wave hit.
     
               That was always a rough wave. I was stuck between exhaustion and sleep. I usually lay down at this time, because within minutes I would be out cold. But when the third wave hit, I absolutely had to lie down and sleep. I was out of options.
     
               For now I was in the middle of the second wave. The sun was minutes from rising and my body was exhausted. And that’s when my IM window popped up on my laptop.
     
               Are you up, Moon Dance?
     
               Yes, but not for long.
     
               First or second wave? asked Fang.
     
               Second wave. Almost third.
     
               So I have only a few minutes.
     
               Yes.
     
               I like knowing that I’m sometimes the last person you think about before going to sleep.
     
               You’ve said that before.
     
               When I was in the second wave, I was often short and to the point and didn’t feel very flirty. I felt exhausted. I felt as close to dead as a person could feel.
     
               I also like knowing that you might dream of me.
     
               I rarely dream, Fang. And besides, what am I supposed to dream about? Words that appear in a pop-up window?
     
               There was a long pause. Almost too long. I felt myself going catatonic. If Fang didn’t say something soon, it was going to take all my last energy to shut the computer down and crawl over to the couch in the pseudo-living room.
     
               Then perhaps we should meet someday, Moon Dance.
     
               Now it was my turn to pause. I sat back, and as I did so, I had the peculiar sense that something wanted to leave my body. What that something was, I wasn’t sure. A part of me. Perhaps my soul, if I still had one. Within seconds I would be out cold.
     
               Through a narrow gap in the curtain, I could see the sky lightening with the coming of the sun.
     
               Are you being serious, Fang?
     
               Yes.
     
               I drummed my fingers on the wooden desk. My brain was fuzzy, thoughts scattered.
     
               Did you say meet? I asked.
     
               Yes. Now, sleep, Moon Dance. Goodnight, even thought it’s