I longed to drag him back to my side where I could comfort him, but I wasn’t sure he’d receive my attention well. He was completely unreadable. When he stopped in front of me, my hand reached out to hold his. A small smile tipped up the left corner of his lips as he shook his head.
“He thought I was salvageable. I told him I didn’t have the strength to keep living the way I was while a solution was searched for. And if he wouldn’t end me, I’d find someone who could. Being under Cassandra’s thumb had sucked all the color from my world. She’d sucked the life from me the night she turned me and proceeded to drain everything else that mattered over the course of nearly one hundred years. I had nothing left to offer, nothing left for her to take. I couldn’t be under her influence for another hundred years.”
“Why couldn’t you just kill her?” My logical mind saw that as the easiest solution. Toven sat back next to me and took both my hands in his as he continued his tale.
“I thought about it. But Cassandra had lived several lifetimes before I ever met her. She hadn’t lived that long by being foolish. Besides, she could read my mind. She’d know anything I had planned before I could act. Father Elmo told me of a way to break the bond between a vampire and his creator. I’d heard whisperings of a possibility but figured it was just a myth, much like the things people believed about nightwalkers. The kind priest had worked with a few other holy men, and they devised a way to utilize God’s creation to combat the hold from a vampire creator. The pendant I wear is the thing that has allowed me ninety-nine years of freedom from Cassandra.” He reached into his collar and pulled out the leather cord, showing me the multi-colored pendant I’d seen before.
“What’s the pendant made of?” I traced the sparkling stone with my finger.
“It’s made of several crystals. The main one is Tibetan quartz, which is found on sacred ground in the Himalayas. It’s believed to surround the wearer with a bubble of light to ward off negative energy. The pendant also includes rose quartz, which strengthens the heart and promotes love. And fluorite draws away negative forces and protects from outside influences. Father Elmo crushed them up, anointed them with holy water then refined them in a purifying fire to meld them together into this pendant.” He slid it along the cord.
“And how has this given you freedom from Cassandra?” I couldn’t fathom how a bunch of rock shards could overcome a vampire’s powers.
“Well, as long as I wear the pendant, she can’t read my thoughts, she can’t track me through our connection, and she can’t make me follow her commands.”
“I see. So why is it that your freedom from her comes with an expiration date? Just don’t take the pendant off.”
“The pendant is losing its ability to keep her at bay. Father Elmo put a blessing for a hundred trips around the sun on it.” His fingers closed around it, gripping it in his palm.
“So, get a new one.”
“None of the priests alive today believe in the power of combining faith with the energy of the crystals. So, none of them know how to make one. Believe me, I’ve sought them all out over the past ten years.” A sad, weary smile carved across his lips.
Anger at the injustice of his circumstances filled me. “So, that’s it? At the end of a hundred years, you’re condemned to go back to a prison of her making?” My voice was oddly tight, and my heart clenched in my chest.
“Well, the priest was a hopeless optimist. He told me the pendant was just designed to buy me a hundred years to find my permanent solution.”
“And what’s the permanent solution?” I silently prayed it wasn’t some pie in the sky dream of a solution. I needed for there to be a real solution to free Toven from Cassandra. If he had to go back to her, he could never be mine.
“The most impossible thing in the world.” A wry chuckle filled the cabin.
“Maybe nothing is impossible.”
“This is. Father Elmo told me that in order to permanently break free from Cassandra’s hold over me, I had to find something bigger and stronger than the bond I share with her because she turned me. I have to fill my heart and life with something that can replace that bond, that hold.”
“So, what’s bigger than the bond?” My mind raced with possibilities, but I didn’t understand enough to locate one.
“Something I know nothing about and am incapable of having.” He hung his head in defeat. “So, I’ve accepted my fate. In a few weeks, my time will be up, and I’ll be moving to wherever she currently makes her home. It’ll be goodbye music, goodbye business, goodbye home and goodbye to you.”
He stood and strode out of the cabin with quick, angry strides. I longed to follow him, but I knew he fled because he needed time alone, time away from me. He was worried I’d view him differently knowing he had a weakness. I knew he also figured I’d be appalled by the recounting of his past sins. The door to the bedroom slammed shut.
I curled up on the couch with the pillow and blanket left by Sarah and dozed off with visions of Toven in chains and an uncrossable ocean between us.
17
Toven
After I stormed out, I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling like an ass. It wasn’t Celesta’s fault my days were slipping through my fingers like grains of sand in an hourglass being shaken by the hand of fate. I needed to get a grip on my emotions so I could enjoy what time I had left with her. I didn’t want to miss one moment with her. I’d need the bank of memories to draw from in order to survive the next century without her.
With things properly in perspective, I returned to the main cabin to find Celesta curled up on the couch, sleeping. Even these moments of watching her quietly were priceless. Though I longed to hold her, I knew it was best for her anxiety to let her sleep. So, I forced myself to be content with being near her light.
The rest of the flight passed uneventfully. As we approached LAX, I woke Celesta and positioned her safely beside me. Once the grogginess abated, she smiled up at me.
“Are you OK?” she asked, concern filling her voice.
“Yes. I’m sorry about earlier. I—” She pressed her fingers to my lips, halting my words.
“It’s all right. How long have you been out here watching me sleep?” She changed the subject.
“A while.”
Pink stained her cheeks. “I hope I didn’t drool or worse.”
I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You didn’t do anything untoward. You were beautiful like always.”
The plane began descending. The thump of her heart increased. I needed to distract her. Bending my head to hers, I fused my lips to hers and proceeded to kiss her until the plane was safely on the ground.
When I pulled back, she was panting. “We’re on the ground,” I said casually.
“That’s debatable. I think my heart is still up there in the stratosphere,” she said breathlessly.
I chuckled and unfastened our seatbelts. When we disembarked, the driver Joe had hired waited outside the plane.
“Mr. Adams, I’m Kent. Joe arranged for me to be at your disposal for the duration of your stay. Follow me.” He waved his arm to indicate the limo with the tinted windows parked near the plane.
“Nice to meet you, Kent. I’m Toven, and this is Celesta.”
After shaking hands all around, Kent ushered us to the vehicle and opened the door.
“If you open that cabinet, you’ll find various beverages and snacks. Help yourself. Joe instructed me on some things to stock. Get comfy. I’m going to get your bags off the plane,” Kent said, all business as he shut the door.
In no time, Kent had our belongings loaded into the car. When his face appeared in the open privacy glass, he said, “Joe said you’d be staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Is that correct?”
“It is,” I spoke up.
“Do you wish to go straight there?”
“Yes, please,” I confirmed, giving Celesta a little squeeze. She still looked a little out of sorts—from the flight, the nap or the kiss, I wasn’t sure. But r
elaxing in our bungalow was probably the best plan for the rest of the day.
“We’ll be there in about thirty minutes,” Kent said just before the privacy glass slid up into place.
A chill ran down my spine as we drove past the main terminal’s parking lot. With dread, I peered out the tinted glass. There on the sidewalk was a shock of platinum hair. The woman had her back to me, but I’d recognize the steely posture and sway of her hips anywhere.
What was she doing here?
“You OK?” Celesta asked, leaning forward to rest her chin on my shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just glad we didn’t have to deal with all that insanity.” I pointed to the chaos of people rushing about on the sidewalk. Cassandra was nowhere to be seen in the commotion of people trying to find rides.
“Was there anything you wanted to do tonight? Some sightseeing, dinner somewhere in particular?” I asked Celesta.
“Maybe we could go to the pool? I’ve missed swimming. I mean, I know you have a pool, but I haven’t really had time to take advantage of it.” Her expression was eager.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
She leaned across my lap to peer out the window at the spiderweb of roadways covered in vehicles zipping everywhere. It was a mesmerizing sight. Seeing the view through her eyes shed a new light on my view of the world. Instead of insignificant like this image normally would be, it made me feel integral for once. And maybe I was, at least to her.
The ride went much quicker than I’d anticipated, or maybe I’d just zoned out. The car was pulling up to the iconic pink hotel in what felt like no time.
A soft tap sounded on the window by my side. I pressed the button to roll the glass down.
“Good evening, sir. If you’d prefer to skip the lobby, I can assist you with check-in,” a man in a suit and tie offered.
“That would be wonderful.” I dug my wallet out, producing my driver’s license and the credit card I’d used to book our reservation.
“Give me one moment please.” He took my plastic and walked over to a podium with a computer.
In no time, he was back with my cards in hand and two plastic key cards. “I’ll help your driver get your bags and show you to your bungalow.”
“Thank you.” I tucked everything back into my wallet.
“Bungalow?” Celesta whispered by my side as the man moved to the rear of the car.
“Surprise. Only the best for you.” I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and planted a kiss on her upturned mouth.
“You didn’t have to do that. We could’ve just stayed in a regular room,” she protested.
I leaned down and put my mouth by her ear. “This way you won’t have to worry about the neighbors hearing you scream my name,” I teased.
And there was the blush I loved so much.
Her eyes held questions, understandably so. I had run hot and cold with her. And I’d had every intention of keeping my hands to myself in the privacy of our bungalow when I originally made the reservations. But it was time to stop lying to myself. She mattered a lot. More than she should. More than I could afford. But it was too late now. I was going to just enjoy the little bit of time I had left—within reason, of course.
♪ Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons
Kent opened the door, halting any further conversation.
The hotel employee, whose name tag read Jack, said, “Follow me please.” He proceeded to lead us to a spacious bungalow surrounded by lush vegetation.
As he opened the gate for us, I said, “Wow. It’s hard to believe we’re in the middle of a bustling city.” I spun around, taking in the beauty of everything. I plucked a colorful bloom and tucked it over Celesta’s ear.
Kent followed Jack into the bungalow, carrying our belongings into the bedroom.
“If you don’t wish to go out for dinner, might I suggest that you place an order with Mastro’s. The food is phenomenal. If your driver is unable to pick it up for you, I can have one of my staff go get it,” Jack said when he returned to the living area. He held out a menu to me.
After a quick perusal, I was convinced. The dishes sounded amazing. I showed Celesta, and she immediately nodded eagerly.
I pulled out my phone and called the restaurant to place our order.
Once we were alone, we roamed the bungalow, exploring. Well, she explored, and I followed, enthralled by her.
Her hand ran across the back of the teal-colored couch. “It’s so soft,” she whispered.
She plucked a blossom from the vase in the center of the coffee table and buried her nose in its center. A shy smile tipped her lips as she moved to the large glass wall revealing our own private oasis. She spun around to me.
“We have our own pool?” she asked excitedly.
I nodded, thrilled by her response. “We can try it out after dinner,” I offered.
“Thirty minutes after dinner. Don’t want to get stomach cramps,” she teased.
She moved away from the view of the pool and into the kitchen. “They left us champagne and a fruit tray.”
I couldn’t help but grin over the little things that brought her joy.
“Here, try this.” She held up a bright red strawberry to my mouth.
As I bit into the ripe fruit, my lips grazed her fingertips. I captured her wrist in my fingers and directed the remaining bite of berry to her mouth. She eagerly sampled it. Juice dripped onto her lips and fingers.
I plucked the bit of greenery from her hand then tossed it in the trash. Watching her face intently, I brought her fingers to my lips and sucked the juice from her skin. Her eyes flared with heat, and her skin flushed with desire. The only thing missing in her reaction that would make it perfect was a moan. Leaning forward, I sipped at her lips, gathering the sweet taste with my tongue. As I deepened our kiss, she moaned into my mouth.
Before I could get too carried away, I stepped back, causing her to pout.
“Let’s finish the tour. Kent will be back soon. There’s not enough time,” I rasped out.
Her brow furrowed. “Not enough time for what?”
I quirked my brow up at her. Really?
“Oh,” she whispered.
I nodded. Planting my hand on the small of her back, I used it to steer her to the bedroom. Not exactly the best place to go given what I was trying to avoid doing at the moment. But it was the next space to check out in the bungalow.
“The bed looks so . . . um . . . soft,” she stammered, pressing her hand down on the bottom corner.
The bed was massive and beautifully decorated in pink and peach, matching the floral arrangement in the corner. It’d be even more stunning with her naked in the center of the mattress.
Oblivious to my dirty thoughts, Celesta moved into the bathroom and let out a squeal.
In a flash, I was by her side. “Are you all right?” I asked, looking around for hidden dangers.
“Um . . . yeah. I was just . . . excited by the tub. It’s big enough for both of us. I mean, not that we would, but . . .” She shook her head, all flustered.
“We can try it out together if you want,” I offered, secretly hoping she wanted to. “Or I can run you a bubble bath to soak in on your own while we’re here.”
“Um . . .” She chewed on her lower lip, obviously torn. “Maybe both?”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Dinner’s served,” Kent’s voice came from the other end of the bungalow.
“Let’s go have dinner. I’m starving,” I said, waggling my eyebrows at her.
I pulled her blushing body to mine and planted a chaste kiss to her mouth then ushered her to the dining area. Once there, I pulled out a chair for her. Then I moved into the kitchen to unpack the food.
A large cooler sat on the counter. Kent was already pulling tins from inside. I opened the cabinet and pulled out a set of fancy plates. Kent helped me transfer the dishes to them. I thanked him and sent him on his way.
Using my speed to my advantage, I whisked to the table an
d set glasses, silverware and linen napkins on the table. In moments, I’d returned with a bottle of blood and a carry-out cup of sweet tea. Back in the kitchen, I balanced plates with beef carpaccio, sautéed shrimp, and an heirloom tomato and burrata salad on my arm. It took two more speedy trips to get the main entrees and dessert onto the table.
When I settled in the seat next to Celesta, she giggled. “Wow. I’m out of breath just watching you. I feel like I should give you a big tip for such speedy service.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely accept a tip from you,” I said in a seductive tone.
“You want a tip, huh?” She flirted, blushing all the while.
“Yeah.” I leaned forward and murmured in her ear, “And then I want to give you the tip and more.”
Her head dropped shyly as her skin turned redder than I’d ever seen. After a moment, she straightened in her chair and lifted her face to mine. Her lips were so close I could smell her lip gloss. She rested her palm high on my thigh, her warmth penetrating through my pants.
“Here’s your tip,” she breathed against my lips as her hand slid up closer to my crotch. I swallowed hard. “When it’s raining, make sure you take an umbrella.”
She leaned back with a huge smirk on her face. I threw my head back and laughed. I loved this bold, playful yet flirty side to her. The woman sitting next to me wasn’t the shy, scared girl I met pacing the sidewalk outside of B.I.T.-10 not that long ago.
I shook my head. “You’re something else, my star. I have a tip for you. Let’s eat before the food gets cold and the vampire gets too hungry.”
Grabbing the takeout cup, I transferred the tea to her wine glass. She took a cautious sip, then grinned after she swallowed. “How’d you know I like sweet tea? And how’d you get sweet tea in California?”
“I could smell it on your lips at the McDaniels’ party when I found you in the kitchen talking to Ace. When I placed the order, I sent special instructions and paid extra. I’ll get Mrs. Burkett to start making you some at home.”
Dinner was amazing, from the appetizers to the desserts. We shared each dish except for my very rare steak. Though the food was outstanding, it paled in comparison to the company. The more time I spent with Celesta, the more enamored I became.
Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2) Page 18