Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) by H.N. Sieverding Page A

right now. She wanted to be there with
him. Right there, in the front row of his concert, and then feel his warm arms
around her that night.
    "I can't wait! This is awesome! Love ya , babe! See ya soon!" He
hung up. Ashleigh made a sour face and set the cell into the cup holder.
    She drove for another ten minutes then caught some bright
lights in her rearview mirror. She moved her mirror so they wouldn't blind her.
She slowed down a little for them to pass, but they didn't.
    Rolling her eyes, she swore under her breath. She messed
around with the stereo as she tried to find a station she liked. Unfortunately,
most of the stations were either static-y, or in a language she didn't
understand. Finally, she turned down the radio and let it play in the
background instead.
    She could still see the lights in her mirror. It was making
her nervous, but she tried not to think much of it. They stayed close to her
bumper, which infuriated her.
    Rolling her bottom lip, she captured it with her top teeth.
She squeaked when they pierced the skin, and she quickly released it. She
glanced in the rearview mirror, bearing her teeth at her reflection. There they
were—a small set of fangs.
    " Ooohhh …shit." Letting
out an annoyed sigh, she turned back at the road. Her fingers ran over the new
set of incisors. This was something she had never seen on a female vampire.
    The phone began to ring. Ashleigh glanced down at it,
recognizing Robert’s number. She quickly answered, "Hello?"
    "What road are you on?" Robert's voice was deep
and lacking emotion.
    "I don't know." She read the next sign. "The
sign I just passed says SVK twelve."
    "Follow that until the main highway comes up. It should
say HVK thirty-six. Follow that until you reach Neuval ,
where there’s an airport. Turn off the highway when you see the sign for the
airport. I've arranged for you to be on the nine o'clock flight, so make sure you're there on
time."
    "How far is Neuval ?" She
glanced back at the truck behind her then studied the road signs. She smiled
when she saw one that said HVK thirty-six. She turned and was soon on the
highway.
    "About five minutes, I think." Robert was typing
something, the sound of clicking keys in the background. "When you get to
the airport, go to the front desk, and tell them who you are. They have all
your information there, so you don't have to worry about having your ID."
    "Are you sure?" She bit her lip then quickly
released it when her fang pierced the surface. She could taste blood and
involuntarily sucked.
    "Positive."
    "Thanks, Robert." She let out a small sigh then
searched for the correct sign.
    "You’re welcome. Have a safe trip home." He hung
up.
    Her face filled with a huge grin. Ashleigh followed Robert's
directions until they led her to a small airport. Her smile faded when she saw
the same vehicle still following her. The tailing didn't seem to be just
another car on its way home. However, she had to get home, and she had no
choice but to press on.
    She parked and grabbed a coat she had seen in the backseat.
It was a man's, tattered, plaid coat. Though she drowned in it, it was better
than running around in only her tight, maid's attire. She quickly grabbed the
cell and jogged toward the entrance.
    She was slightly out of breath when she reached the front
desk. "Hello." She spoke her own language and tried to sound upbeat.
"My name is Ashleigh Brown. I need to pick up my ticket."
    "Ashleigh." The woman smiled, her accent thick but
understandable. She picked up a stack of papers near her then laid them out in
front of Ashleigh. "Here is a temporary ID and passport, so hold onto
that. And please sign this for me."
    As she signed her name, Ashleigh could feel someone walk up
behind her. Though it scared her, she didn't acknowledge them.
"Thanks." She handed the slip back to the woman.
    "I must say, you have a very generous boyfriend.
Arranging all this for you."
    "He's a keeper, that's for sure. I'll have to thank him
when I see