Immortal Night

by Emily Goodwin

  What the fuck?

  I turn and speed over to the bleeding human and hand her to Eliza. “Take care of her. Discreetly.”

  The witch shuffles forward. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means, take her into the office and patch her up. I have a reputation to obtain and do not want to lose business over a vampire attack at my bar.”

  The witch laughs. “You own this hipster place?”

  I lean forward, looking deep into her eyes. Her pulse quickens, but it’s not from fear.

  “Yes. It’s one of the many establishments I own.” I look from her to Adam. “Do what you want with him. Or leave him for me to deal with.” Without looking back, I go up the stairs behind Eliza, needing to get this pain in the ass human into my office before anyone sees her and reports us.

  I follow the Vampire Council’s rules only because it benefits me. Legally registering as a vampire meant finally being able to put my business and properties under my name instead of a human proxy. I own millions of dollars worth of real estate just here in the United States, and even more in Europe.

  It was a hassle having to change human owners on the deeds ever seventy-five or so years. The short lifespan of humans is gravely annoying.

  Eliza gets the blonde human into the office and closes the door. I move back into the main area of the bar, doing a quick sweep to make sure no one is looking for the blonde woman. I’ll hold them spell bound and change their memories if they are.

  The office door is open when I get back to it. “The funny thing is,” the witch’s voice floats into the hall. “I have a bad habit of doing the exact opposite of what’s good for me.”

  I slip into the office. “I’m beginning to sense that.”

  The witch whirls around, eyes wide, but still refusing to show fear. She looks me up and down, and her heart speeds up again. She’s attracted to me, I can tell, but I’ve yet to come across anyone who isn’t. Normally, I’d go with it, furthering her lust until she’s begging me to penetrate her with my cock and my fangs.

  But this witch…there’s something different about her. It’s alluring in a nonsexual way, which is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. She’s drunk, swaying on those four inch heels, yet she just took down one of the oldest vampires in Chicago as if it were nothing.

  I’m more than twice Adam’s age. Stronger. Faster. Much smarter. I’d be a challenge, but I’m starting to think this witch might be the only human I’ve ever come across who could kill me.

  It shouldn’t turn me on.

  It shouldn’t make me want to push the limit and feel tendril of magic burning my skin.

  But I do.

  “Never seen a witch before?” She puts a hand on her hip, cocking an eyebrow.

  I move forward, looking down at her. “Oh, I have. Drank from one too.” I lean my head in, breathing in her scent. But you…you don’t smell like the other witches I’ve come across.”

  She rolls her eyes in a move even Eliza might be jealous of. “If this is the part where you tell me my blood is special and you can’t resist the scent, save it. I’m not a teen girl from a romance novel. I’ll kill you before you can get your fangs out.”

  I almost laugh. Pulling my lips back, I draw my fangs so they flash in the neon lights overhead. The blonde girl, who’s being cleaned up by Eliza, whimpers in fear. “Oh, really?”

  “I can still kill you,” the witch says, and sounds sure of herself.

  “Are you done?” I ask Eliza.

  “Just about.” She snaps the first aid kit closed.“What should we do about her memory?”

  “I’ll take care of it,” I say.

  “Like hell you will.” Magic sparks around the witches fingers. Eliza freezes and then moves back against the wall. She recently passed her three-hundredth year as a vampire. Even newborn vampires possess great speed and strength, but it takes centuries to acquire the powers I have.

  I speed to the witch, bringing my head down close to hers. Fuck, she smells so good and is so damn beautiful. I’m drawn to her in the weirdest way, and I hate it as much as I like it.

  No one has ever unnerved me, and this woman—this witch—is coming close to doing just that, and all she’s doing is standing here.

  “I can’t very well have her go around telling people she was attacked in my bar,” I start. “And she knows you’re a witch. Don’t you witches want to stick to the shadows, cowering from humans?”

  She knows I’m right. “I can handle her memory.”

  Witches can alter memories? She doesn’t have a spell book with her that I saw. Magic is great and powerful, but it takes time and ingredients. All I have to do is lock eyes with someone and use my sheer will to get into their mind.

  “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  She narrows her eyes and pulls those perfect lips into a tight smile. “Watch and maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

  Now I can’t help but laugh. “Yes, the twenty-something year old witch can teach me something.”

  The witch gives me one last glare and turns. My eyes go to her ass, hugged tight by her dark jeans. Fuck, it would feel so good to press my cock up against it while I sink my fangs into her neck.

  “What’s your name?” she asks the blonde woman. Her tone ha changed completely. It’s soft and comforting, and almost soothes me.

  “St-stephanie.”

  “Hi, Stephanie. I’m Callie.”

  Callie. It’s a simple name, though one I don’t hear too often. Having a name to put with that beautiful face makes me want Callie even more.

  “You…you saved me,” Stephanie mumbles and Eliza rolls her eyes. I watch Callie with curiosity as she crouches down and takes Stephanie’s hand.

  “Yeah. I did.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She slides her fingers to the woman’s wrists and looks right into her eyes. “Were you having fun before that undead dick attacked you?”

  “Yeah. I was. I’m here with my friends. We’re celebrating Tiff’s birthday.”

  “You can keep having fun with them. And you will. You fell and got hurt. You’re lucky the cut wasn’t very deep. Disinfect it in the morning and you’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah…I’ll be fine. It doesn’t even hurt.” Stephanie gets a distant look in her eyes.

  “Right. It doesn’t hurt at all. Have fun.” Callie lets go of her wrist and stands, holding out a hand and helping Stephanie to her feet. She didn’t do a damn thing. Didn’t say a spell or incantation. Didn’t like a candle or burn herbs.

  I knew she was fucking lying.

  I hold out my arm, stopping Stephanie from leaving the office. “All you did was have a conversation with her.” I zero my gaze on Callie.

  “See for yourself,” she says and blinks rapidly, as if she’s trying to get her vision to focus.

  I step in, reaching out and taking Stephanie’s chin in my hand. Her lips part and a shiver runs down her spine from my touch. It’s a normal reaction I get from women. They always want more, and usually they get it. I look into her eyes, feeling the ancient magic inside me taking hold. In only a second, Stephanie is under my command.

  “Where are you going?” I ask her.

  “Back to my friends,” she says flatly.

  “How did you hurt your neck?”

  “My neck?” She brings her hand to her neck. “Oh, right. Someone dropped their drink and I slipped and fell on the glass. I’m lucky the cut wasn’t very deep. I’ll disinfect it in the morning.”

  I look into her eyes, trying to feel the magic Callie used. It’s untraceable. I break my hold and let Stephanie go. She walks back into the bar and I round on Callie.

  “How did you do that?”

  She smirks. “So the twenty-something year old witch did teach the big, bad vampire a thing or two?”

  I don’t like to be toyed with, and now this witch is most certainly getting under my skin. I speed over to her and grab her by the throat, thumb hovering over her
jugular. I can feel her pulse bounding against me, and it’s turning me on.

  Callie almost loses her balance but recovers quickly. She sets her face, swallows hard, and brings her arm up. Her fingers press into my chest. A second passes before she hits me with magic, and in that second, all I feel is the warmth of her skin against me.

  The magic hits me like an electrical shock. It’s the closest my heart has come to beating in nearly two thousand years. I jerk back, letting go of Callie’s neck. Eliza rushes forward and flashes her fangs.

  “Eliza.” I only have to say her name for her to know that she needs to stand down. This witch is a ticking time bomb that would quite literally light up the entire fucking office.

  Or even the entire bar.

  She’s magnificent.

  I should rip her throat out before she has the chance to conjure another flicker of magic. I can see myself doing it, can imagine how it would feel to tear into her skin and pull back, ripping it right off her body. It would be warmer than her touch, and she’d bleed out in under ten seconds.

  But for some reason, I don’t want to hurt her.

  I speed forward again, and Callie takes a quick step back. Her heels slips and she starts to fall. I don’t think, but just act. I throw out my arms and catch her, wrapping my arms around her slender body.

  “Thanks.”

  Fuck, she’s warm. I steady her, and she pushes me away.

  “Listen,” she starts, rubbing her forehead. “Don’t let your vamps feed on unwilling people on your property anymore and I won’t report you the authorities.”

  She’s beautiful, powerful, sassy, and a little annoying. Just when I thought I’d never meet anyone interesting ever again…

  I plaster a fake ass smile on my face. “How kind of you. And I won’t show the security footage of you acting like a human taser.”

  She just stares at me, but instead of looking worried or scared of being exposed, she looks amused. “Maybe you should.” Then she bursts out laughing.

  Eliza looks at me with wide eyes. “Something is seriously wrong with her.”

  I think I’m going to agree with her. Maybe not wrong but there is something clearly different about this woman.

  “You know what,” Callie starts. “I’m already a bit of a black sheep in my family and that’s saying something. I’m just going to go home.”

  “You’re not driving.” She’s too drunk to drive.

  “No, Mom, I’m not. I’ll call an Uber.”

  I know an opportunity when I see one. I’m attracted to this witch. I want to fuck her and I want to taste her. She won’t willingly do either, and I never force myself onto a woman. But I can trick her into spending an hour in the car with me so I can try to find out more.

  If she’s as powerful as I think, then it’s in my best interest to know everything I can about her. And if she really is that much of a threat…maybe I should kill her.

  Chapter 3

  “I’ll take you.”

  “Why…why would you do that?” Callie blinks again, and it’s like the use of magic and the consumption of alcohol are hitting her all at once. I step toward her and look her in the eyes. I can’t hold her spell bound, but I don’t need magic to get her to do what I want. I look her up and down again, making no attempt to hide the lust in my eyes.

  “I don’t live nearby,” she says, voice coming out breathy.

  “I don’t mind a drive. And more importantly, I don’t want to be indebted to a witch. You did me a favor stopping Adam from draining that girl. Now let me take you home.”

  Callie swallows hard and takes in a deep breath, causing her breasts to rise and fall again.

  “Fine. After this, we’re even-steven?”

  “Sure.” I hold out my hand. “Your keys?”

  “Why do you—oh right.” She takes her purse off her shoulder and pulls out a key fob. “Someone will bring it to me?”

  “Yes, in the morning.”

  “The sun is out in the morning.”

  “It is? I had no idea,” I gasp, taking the keys and setting them on my desk.

  “You’re an asshole,” she retorts.

  “I’ve been told.” I start for the door but Eliza zooms forward and blocks my way.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she whispers, speaking in French.

  “I can handle one little witch,” I reply and then smile. “Which is exactly what I plan to do.”

  Eliza rolls her eyes. “Always thinking with your cock will get you killed someday.”

  “It hasn’t yet.” I kiss Eliza’s forehead. “Lock Adam in the cell and leave him for me to handle when I get back.”

  She steps aside and I lead Callie through the bar and onto the street. The Taproom isn’t far from my house in Lincoln Park. It only takes me a minute to get from here to the house, but will take Callie longer since she has to walk at human speed.

  Her heels click on the sidewalk, rushing to keep up with my long strides. A bit of fear flashed over her face as soon as she stepped out of the bar, as if she’s realizing what she’s actually doing. I can feel her staring at me now, but I keep my eyes trained forward.

  A man walks down the sidewalk a good distance from us, unsuspecting. I wonder what Callie could do to him, how fast she could burn him up from the inside out. I’m fast and strong, and the last time I felt intimidated by a human was when I still was one.

  Yet I’d be stupid to pretend Callie holds no threat.

  “I used to live here,” she says. “In Chicago, I mean.”

  “You don’t anymore?” I flick my eyes to her.

  “No, I live in Indiana now. Only about an hour and a half away, but far enough to be away from the city.”

  I nod, trying not to find her any more interesting than I already do. We go down the block before I allow myself to look at her again. If my heart could beat, it would skip right now. A slight breeze blows Callie’s brunette hair back from her face, and her green eyes almost glow under the street lamps. Knowing she’s dangerous makes her all the more beautiful.

  “Why’d you come tonight? It wasn’t just to visit some hipster bar.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” She stops at the crosswalk and doesn’t say anything more. I can sense something in her, something familiar. We can’t have anything in common. It would be impossible. “Have you been in the city long?” she asks.

  “I supposed long for you.” I pull my car keys from my pocket and remember the first time Eliza and I came to the city. I hated it. She loved it. So we stayed. “Eliza and I have been here since 1962.”

  “Did you, uh, turn her?”

  “Yes.”

  “So are you two together?”

  “Not in the sense you’re thinking,” I tell her. Many vampires have sexual or romantic relationships with their progenies. I turned Eliza for revenge and had no intention of dealing with her again after seeing the look on her father’s face when his perfect baby girl became one of the things he hated most.

  I never made a vampire before her, and I never plan to make another after. The bond between vampire and maker is strong, and I couldn’t physically bear being apart from her. I love Eliza as if she were my own daughter, because that is exactly what she is.

  I took her human life and brought her into the world of darkness.

  “Interesting,” Callie says.

  “Strange how you’re so willing to kill vampires when you find us interesting.”

  “I didn’t kill that vampire back at the bar.”

  I turn, finding Callie already looking at me. “You would have.”

  “If necessary, yes. I would have.”

  “Now that I find interesting.” I give her a smirk, enjoying how one little gesture can make her squirm.

  “Do you kill interesting people too?” She regrets asking it the second the worlds leave her lips, I can tell. Because up until right now, she could have pretended I was a nonviolent vampire, satisfied with only drinking bottled blood. It’s been a while since I�
�ve drained the life out of anyone, but there’s no point in lying to Callie.

  Or to anyone, unless it benefits me.

  “If necessary, yes,” I tell her and watch her body stiffen for just a second. She already knew I was a killer, but hearing it out loud is making her second guess getting in the car with me. She doesn’t ask me anything else as we walk a few more blocks and pause in front of my house.

  “Do you live here?” she asks, looking at the large house. It’s one of the biggest on the street and the most expensive in the area.

  “Yes.” I open the passenger side door of my Chevelle for her and watch her get in.

  “If you so much as look at my neck, I’ll turn you into a frog,” she threatens.

  “I’d like to see you try.” I get into the driver’s seat and flash my fangs, hoping to see her shudder.

  “Don’t test me. Because now I’m thinking frogs are too good and you’d make a really nice hairless rat.”

  I laugh, but her tenaciousness to act tough is making my cock hard. Bringing the car to life, I step on the gas and pull away from the curb.

  “This thing is pretty cool,” she says, sounding more like a drunk woman than a badass witch.

  “Yes, it is. I’ve been it’s only owner.”

  “Perks to eternal living, right?”

  Her words make me laugh because it’s true. It’s almost strange, the things you think about when you know you’re never going to die. I bought this Chevelle back in 1969 because I liked it, not thinking about it’s value many years later. I consider myself a bit of a minimalist—a trendy term I hate using—but I only keep things that have value to me.

  Monetary value, that is.

  I have a lot of cars, some here with me in Chicago, and most kept safe in a garage at my estate in Napa.

  “My car is parked on this street,” Callie says as drive away from my house. Her eyes flutter closed as if she’s fighting off sleep. “It’s the white Jeep Grand Cherokee with Indiana plates.”

  I nod, flicking my eyes to her and looking her over once more. Her beauty is obvious, and the magic coming off of her is strong. But her physical looks and apparent danger isn’t all that’s attracting me to her.