Free Gypsey Blood by Lorrie Unites-Struff

sacrifice would give another the knowledge of how to use the red power of the clan to destroy the unholy creature.
    “The grandson would have none commit suicide, so he devised a plan. He didn’t think his grandfather would be able to sniff a mere pinprick of the blood that had once run through his veins when mixed with a large amount of sheep blood. When the vampire drank the sheep blood, he sank to his knees, unconscious. Members of the clan carried him into a deep cavern in the mountain, and then blew up the entrance with barrels of gunpowder to entomb him.”
    Dragus set another glass of water in front of Anna. Her hand shook as she lifted it to her lips. She set the glass down, then sank back in her chair, her chest heaving.
    Matt rose and walked to the desk. “Is there a particular reason you are telling us this piece of lore, Anna?”
      “Yes.” She glanced at the sketch. “This vampire’s name is Lucien.” Anna brushed moisture from her brow.
    Rita hurried to the desk and stood beside Matt, the hairs on the back of her neck tingled. “You know his name?”
    A dazed Uncle Dragus approached and tapped a thick finger on the sketch. “Lucien find way out, Anna. Ja . He here.” Dragus seemed to have shrunk in his frame. “Wait, I show you both.” He walked to the bookshelf, removed an old brown photo album, and laid it on the desk. He flipped it open to the second page. A sepia picture of a man wearing an old-fashioned suit, holding a bowler hat on his lap, sat rigid on a chair. His hairline showed a prominent widow’s peak, the bump on the bridge of his nose obvious. The date printed under the picture read 1880.
    Rita’s eyes lost focus for a moment. The room tilted. Matt grasped her waist. She gazed up at Matt, her face mirroring the shock on his. They both looked back to Anna.
    “Yes.” Anna said and searched Rita’s eyes. “He is the creature our ancestors put into the cave. Lucien is one of our great-grandfathers.”
     

 
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
    Rita stood absorbing Anna’s words. Now it all made sense. Lucien had smelled her family blood. He had recognized the crystal. She swallowed, trying to force down the acrid taste in her mouth. She dashed for Anna’s private bathroom. Once inside, she threw up until there was nothing left but dry, wracking heaves.
    Matt entered, ran water in the sink, and pressed a cool, damp washcloth against her forehead. The throbbing in her temples eased. He flushed the toilet. She rinsed her mouth with cold water. His arm slid around her and he pulled her close, running his hand up and down her side. “Cheri, now do you believe we’ve got ourselves a vampire to catch?”
    It hurt just to nod.
    When they went back into the office, Uncle Dragus poured tea from a metal carafe and handed her a steaming mug. “Here, ginger tea to settle stomach.”
    Rita sipped slowly and focused on the sunbeams slanting through the window. Dust motes swirled like gnats within the rays, much like her thoughts. She raised her head. “Ma, how could he last a long time being entombed?”
    “Ach. Vampires can hibernate for decades.”
    “There have been investors building new chalets and ski resorts in the Carpathian Mountains ,” said Matt. “ Lot of dynamiting there. Our department had been getting reports of the same odd murders in that area for almost a year. Then we latched onto his M.O. trail four months ago in New Orleans . Our guess is that he’s working his way north where the nights are longer.”
    Uncle let out a long sigh. “No good will come of this.” He knuckle rubbed his head. “My brain tired. We need take time now to eat, need time to think.” He hit the intercom on the desk, and with his usual panacea for calming shattered nerves, ordered bowls of goulash delivered to the office with a basket of dark rye bread and butter.
    Rita couldn’t eat. The smell of the thick stew made her stomach queasy again. She opened the window and watched the shoppers getting in