Immortal Chemistry

Immortal Chemistry A Historical Vampire Romance Sarah Saponaria Copyright Copyright © 2023 by Sarah Saponaria All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without the author’s express written permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review. Immortal Chemistry is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, or incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Other than historical figures, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Contents 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Chapter 27 28. Chapter 28 29. Chapter 29 30. Chapter 30 31. Chapter 31 32. Chapter 32 33. Chapter 33 34. Chapter 34 35. Chapter 35 36. Chapter 36 37. Chapter 37 38. Chapter 38 Coming Soon Also By About Author Chapter 1 Port Townsend, Washington 1918 On a cloudy day, the beach gifted Orinda with a cave full of coyote bones. She strode along the sand, oblivious to the blessing she was about to receive. The wind played with the skirt of her pale blue cotton nurse’s uniform while she gazed at Puget Sound, and her heart felt as cold as the dark water. The gray skies smelled of coming rain—scaring most other visitors away. She smiled to herself, preferring a vacant beach. The two-hundred-foot cliff to her left and the long stretch of water to her right created a sense of isolation. People could only access the beach during low tide, making it Orinda’s secret hideaway from mankind most of the time. She came upon a family of four who seemed oblivious to the dangers of the tide. A young boy, about six years old, ran back and forth with bare feet. Donning unnecessary sun hats, his mother and older sister sat on a blanket, engaged in conversation while the father skipped rocks on the water. Each wave brought the tide closer, and Orinda knew she should warn them to head back. In less than an hour, the water would meet the foot of the cliff, trapping anyone who dared to stay on the beach too long. Only locals understood the danger, though. These people must not be from around here. Instead of warning them, she watched. What would happen if she didn’t tell them? They needed to pass beyond the bend to the east to avoid being stranded. Would they figure it out on their own? Observing their bliss, she let out a slow, pained breath. Her demon side stirred, wanting to come to the surface, and she couldn’t help but imagine them drowning. She hadn’t killed a human in over a hundred years, but her dark side fixated on their deaths. She hated being around joyful humans—it reminded her of what she never could be. Happy families were the most obnoxious of all, yet they fascinated her all the same, like watching a colony of ants working together in harmony. Temptingly soft earth covered a part of the cliff wall, and the boy ventured up to play. While he climbed, he sent cascades of sand in his wake. Orinda turned her attention to him, curious what this new hazard might bring, while his parents paid him no mind. The smallest of smiles played on Orinda’s lips as the boy ventured higher. “Willie! Get down from there!” the mother finally hollered. A small avalanche of sand above the boy started gaining momentum. Orinda watched it surge and grow as it churned the dirt beneath it. The mother stood, but her hooked skirt prevented her from moving quickly. The father hadn’t noticed anything amiss and was far down the beach. The boy’s family wouldn’t be able to save him in time. Orinda gritted her teeth and darted to the cliff bank. She shouldn’t have to be the one to save him, but it was clear his neglectful parents were oblivious. Why did they always take their lives for granted? “Momma!” Willie screamed as the avalanche swallowed him and continued its race toward the ground. He slid under the charging mound, and only his hands could be seen reaching out. The heap gained speed and plummeted. Orinda was ready and snatched the boy from the sand cloud just before it hit the ground. She leaped backward into safety and set him down. He ran to his mother, sobbing, while dust fell from his body. “Willie! Thank God!” The mother embraced him. The father jogged down the beach toward them. “Thank you, Miss,” he said when he reached them. Orinda stared at his forehead, not wanting him to see what she called her prowess. When a human looked into her eyes, they would sense that she was dangerous. Her prowess would cause them to freeze as their body tensed until she looked away. She could even project images into their minds if she really wanted to scare them. Orinda usually wore sunglasses around humans, which deadened the effect, but she’d left them at home that day—not expecting to interact with anyone. “You should take better care of your children.” She clenched her fists at her side. The man removed his hat and looked at the ground. “I’ll remember that.” “Willie, come thank the nice lady for saving you.” Willie’s mother approached Orinda with the reluctant boy at her side. Willie peeked out from behind his mother’s skirt. “Thank you, ma’am.” Orinda narrowed her eyes but still avoided eye contact. How could they be