The Mammoth Book Of Vampire Stories Written By Women

At each site they visited, Noah had the group sit down and meditate to see if they could pick up any information from the past, such as what the site might have been used for in ancient times. He never did this at the indoor meetings. This was his select group, with whom he was prepared to try more "weird stuff, as some referred to it. During the meditation, Lara saw a great deal of detailed and pertinent imagery. "I think you're psychic," Noah told her privately.

"Oh, I know that ," she said.

"You couldn't be more perfect," Noah said.

Lara smiled. "When can we continue our conversation?"

"Later. How about dinner?"

"Sounds great."

Noah had to lose Abby and Gary for the evening, which was not easy. He didn't want Abby to know he was taking Lara out, sure that she would insist that she and Gary went with him. Fortunately, they'd brought their own car that day, so at the last site Noah whisked Lara off quickly, virtually without saying goodbye to anybody. He knew he'd have to pay for it later and could anticipate Abby's terse message that would be waiting on his answerphone when he got home. But for the time being, he didn't give a damn. Both he and Lara were giggling as his car skidded away in a cloud of dust and gravel.

"Why do I get the feeling we're playing truant?" Lara asked.

"Sometimes, I want a bit of privacy, that's all," Noah answered. "The trouble with these events is that people want it to carry on till all hours. Sometimes, that's fine, but tonight" He glanced at her and she smiled.

He took her to a Thai restaurant he'd never visited before, secure in the knowledge that none of the group would track him there. The food was rather lacklustre, but it didn't matter, because Lara was sitting opposite him and her smile seemed to enfold him in a hazy golden mist. They were both high on the sense of being secret conspirators. They were high on the potential of what might happen later.

Lara seemed content to listen to Noah talk about his new book, and it wasn't until the coffee arrived that she broached the subject she'd brought up after the meeting last Tuesday. "Why did you react so badly to my question?"

"I don't think I did. Some things I just steer clear of."

"So what's the story behind it?" She took a sip of coffee, smiled disarmingly. "Or is it a secret?"

Noah leaned back in his chair. "It's no secret. If you become part of the core group — and I'm sure you will — anyone would tell you about it. Basically, while I was writing Nosferatu I was involved in more than the obvious method of research. The problem came from that."

Lara put her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"You saw what we did today. People are keen on the psychic stuff. On one level, it's harmless, and most people never go beyond that. But on another, it isn't. Sitting outside an old church and trying to visualise images of the past can't hurt anyone, because it's dead and gone. It's nothing more than a psychic photograph. But other things, well, they're more alive, still around, so to speak."

Lara laughed, lit a cigarette. "Are you trying to tell me that you contacted a vampire psychically?"

Noah hesitated for a moment. Part of him didn't want to say more, but Lara's wide eyes were fixed upon him with a bright, intelligent gaze. He felt safe with her. "I worked with a girl called Sarah. People don't realize it, but a lot of the information in my books comes from what I call 'inspired' sources, from psychics. Most of what I find out can't be used in a serious book, because it can't be checked out and verified as fact, but it gives me a feel for and understanding of the subject. Sarah was my assistant and also my partner. She was very psychic."

" Was," Lara said, her chin resting on her hands. Smoke curled around her in slow tendrils. "That sounds ominous."

"Let's just say that I was interested in the origin of the vampire myth, like you are. I'd investigated all the legends of blood-drinking demons, from medieval Europe right back to Sumerian times. Somewhere along the way, the flavour of the subject changed." He gestured with both hands. "It's difficult to describe, but the idea of the vampire as unfortunate undead — perhaps a victim of their circumstances — mutated into the idea that the original vampires were very much alive and that their vampirism was by choice, a necessary facet of their belief system."

Lara nodded enthusiastically. "That's my thought also."