Read Kissed by Ice for Free Online

me. Eddie gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm afraid I can't see it."
    "Can't you?" I tapped each bright red X with my forefinger. "The first body, here, was found in your shower, Eddie. The second, in the room next door to yours. And the third was right here in this very room. The room where you're trying to figure everything out." I turned back to them. "Eddie, the pattern is you ."
    # # #
    Something ahead made a faint dripping sound, like a faucet that needed a new washer. There was a dank, metallic scent that tickled my nose and sat sharply on my tongue. A few caged lights gave off a dim glow, enough to interfere with my night vision but not enough to light the way.
    I kept my UV gun in my hand, ready should I come face-to-face with my prey. How Eddie had gotten the thing on-board I would never know, but I was grateful for it.
    We'd spent some time speculating on the reason someone would be after Eddie. It was clear that while Kabita agreed with me, Eddie was just humoring us. He clearly thought it was all one big coincidence. I had a hard time buying that, but I still couldn't figure out why Eddie would be part of the pattern.
    The three of us spent the rest of the day searching the ship, marking off rooms as we went. At the rate we were going, it was going to take the rest of the year. After several hours we took a break. Eddie snuck us some food from the buffet, and then Kabita and I napped in his room until dark. Nighttime was always the best time for a Hunt.
    After my nap I felt, if not refreshed, then at least more alert. Eddie offered to join in the hunt, but he was emceeing the steampunk ball that evening, so Kabita and I sent him on his way before heading to the place where the last body had been found. I didn't know what we hoped to find, but there wasn't anything. No clues. No residual vampire energy. Nothing.
    "Listen," I said to Kabita. "A vamp's natural inclination is to go underground. The closest thing on a ship would be anything below the water line."
    "Makes sense. We should concentrate our search below decks. Engine rooms. Storage bays. That sort of thing."
    We'd split up and continued our search, which was how I found myself in a dim hallway somewhere in the belly of the ship. Between the bass roar of the engines and the poor lighting, I was getting a raging headache.
    Somewhere deep inside me, something stirred, raising its head. The Darkness reminding me it was there, ready to be let out. If I used it, the headache would go away. I'd be able to see. The noise wouldn't bother me so much. And I'd probably find that damn vamp in half the time. But it would also bring me that much closer to the edge. To losing control for good. It wasn't worth the risk.
    Then I remembered the red Xs on Eddie's wall. To prevent another murder, yes, it was worth the risk.
    I took a deep breath and let the Darkness out. It surged up from that place inside me where it lived, spiraling through me and out the center of my chest. My vision narrowed to a pinprick. A point of light in a long dark tunnel. The sounds of the engines quieted. The pain throbbing at the base of my skull receded. Suddenly I could see as clearly as if it were broad daylight. I felt awake, alive, alert in a way I never did with my normal Hunter abilities.
    Clenching the UV gun a little tighter, I picked up my pace as I moved down the corridor. The gripping on the back of my skull returned, but this time it wasn't a headache. I sensed the vamp. It was close.
    I checked my phone. Not a single bar. No way to send Kabita a text. I was on my own.
    I moved faster. The grip on my skull was growing tighter, a sure sign I was nearly on top of the thing. And then the feeling started to fade. With a frown, I stopped, turned around, and walked back a few paces. The feeling grew stronger. I should be practically on top of the vamp, but there was nothing there. Just an empty hallway. Nothing to hide behind. No doors. Nothing.
    I glanced up in time to see the grate