by Laura Lee
“Well, for one, your grandmother never knew about you. If she had, she would have done everything in her power to interfere and bring you back to Faerie.”
“What do you mean she never knew about me? Wasn’t she clairvoyant?”
“No, she was not,” Irina said. “She was very powerful, but that talent was reserved solely for you and your mother.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I yelled. “I can’t see the future!”
“It doesn’t work on demand, Karli. You won’t fully understand it until you’ve become immortal. Right now, the extent of your talent probably amounts to feelings of déjà vu or an overactive imagination. Your mother assured me that you will learn to interpret the visions within time.”
“Omigod, the first time I saw Leo I had that vision of him!” I shrieked. “I thought it was just my crazy hormones, but now that I think about it, it was the exact image of him in the hotel shower!”
She smiled. “Well, as visions go, that certainly sounds like a lovely one. He does sound delightful.”
Embarrassed, I turned my head away. “Irina, what was the second thing? After my grandmother not knowing about me?”
“Your mother made me promise to keep you in Las Vegas until you were grown.”
“Why?”
“Because the other half to your soul would be there,” she said.
*******
“What? What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“It means that you would find the man who will fill your heart for the rest of eternity. It seems that she was right.”
“Did she give you a name?” I held my breath, trying to figure out what I wanted the answer to be.
“Alas, draga, I am afraid not. That would be too tempting to reveal. You need to figure this out on your own.”
“But how?” I asked.
“You must listen to your heart. Your soul. They will lead you in the right direction.”
“Irina, that’s not true!” I insisted. “I listened to my heart and look where it got me. With a broken one! And God, I hurt Leo so bad. How could he ever forgive me?”
“My dear, the soul only has one true mate. I know you are confused. I know this doesn’t make sense right now, but it will. It will not always seem so hopeless. You are deeply hurt, but you love Vance and love makes us forgive. Your problem is that you obviously love them both. You need to figure out which one you love more.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “How do I do that? They’re both so different. They both make me feel so different when I’m with them. And honestly, right now, I don’t feel like I could ever even look at Vance again without bursting into tears. Or face Leo without feeling immense guilt.”
She shrugged. “You will never solve anything if you keep pushing them away.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It can be if you let it,” she said. “What can I do for you to help?”
“You can let me stay here for a few days to clear my head,” I replied. “Also, it would be helpful if you could remove my blood bond to Maria.”
“Of course, my dear. We’ll get started right away. My darling, you are welcome to stay as long as you like but the sooner you get back home, the sooner you can get started.”
“I know. Really, I just need a day or two to build up the courage to do this.”
Nineteen
Okay, so two days turned into two weeks and I still wasn’t in any hurry to get home. Irina pleaded with me continuously, but I couldn’t bring myself to get behind the wheel and back on the road. Removing the blood bond seemed effortless for her coven. She informed me that only the bond between a maker and their child is difficult to sever for witches with their strength. I could feel it when it lifted, but I still couldn’t bear the thought of returning to Vegas. I tried several times but never made it out of the driveway. I spent a lot of time with Irina and her coven sisters, Anca and Bridgid. The two of them were like aunts to me, making me feel comfort, taking special care to ensure I wouldn’t mope or get too lost in my thoughts.
I decided to head to Crissy Field as the sun was setting one night. I walked along the shore wearing jeans and a huge sweatshirt. I rolled my pants up, letting the water roll over my toes. It was cold and windy but I rarely got the opportunity to do this, so I couldn’t resist. About twenty minutes after sundown, a familiar voice startled me out of my solitude.
“My love, isn’t it a little cold outside for beach combing?”
I jumped a little and turned to see Leo walking towards me. “Sweet baby Jesus! You scared the shit out of me!”
“I’m sorry, my dear, but I couldn’t hold back any longer. I tried giving you space, but my worry overrode my courtesy.” He walked beside me, putting his arm around my shoulders.
“How the hell did you find me?” I asked.
“Blood bonds are better than any GPS,” he replied. Dammit! I forgot about my built in homing device.
“Man, you weren’t kidding when you said that thing worked from any distance.”
“Does it bother you that I came?” he asked.
I sighed heavily. “No, Leo, it doesn’t. It’s actually pretty touching that you would do that. When did you get here? Did you drive?”
“No, I chartered a jet, arriving just before dawn. Vampires are not well equipped for road trips, with the eventual sunrise and all.”
“Yeah, I guess that would put a damper on it, huh?” The wind gusted, causing me to openly shiver.
“My sweet, you are freezing. Let us go indoors. I have a car waiting. We can go back to my hotel and talk.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
“The Ritz.”
“Of course you are.”
He smirked. “Have you eaten? We can stop to get something along the way.”
“No, I’m not hungry but thanks for offering. I really just want to get back to the house.”
“Where are you staying?” he asked.
“Irina’s.” He gave me an inquisitive look making me realize he had no idea who she was. “She’s like a mother to me,” I explained. “My parents died when I was young and she raised me.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss, my love. I had no idea.”
“It was a long time ago, but thank you, Leo.”
“I will take you to this…Irina’s house if you’d like,” he offered.
“Sure.”
We got into the Town Car and I gave Irina’s address to his driver. I leaned up against Leo and just sat there during our short drive figuring out what to do next. He held my hand, tracing circles on my palm. We pulled up in front of the house and the driver got out and opened my door. Leo looked at me expectantly.
“Would you like to come in for a bit?” I asked. “We have plenty of time before sunrise.” Okay, I didn’t know where I was going with this, but I couldn’t exactly let the guy charter a freaking jet to find me and not invite him in.
“I’d be honored,” he replied as he followed me out of the car.
We walked up the steps to the front door. The door swung open as I was digging for my keys.
“Draga, who is your friend?” Irina asked.
“Uh---”
Leo stepped in front of me, grabbing her hand so he could kiss it. “Salutari, you must be Irina. My name is Leo.”
Irina actually blushed! “My goodness, Karli, you did not tell me your gentleman spoke my native tongue!” Oh Lord, Leo flashed me a fangy grin when she called him my gentleman.
“I didn’t know,” I said as I glared at him. Christ, was there anything this man couldn’t do?
“Fermecat, Leo,” she said to him as she smiled from ear to ear. Enchanted, Irina? Really? She turned towards me again. “When you said he was attractive, my child, you were not doing him justice. He is magnificent!”
“So you think I’m attractive, huh?” Leo asked me with a wink.
“Okay, you two. Enough flirting for tonight.” I gave them both a warning glare before
looking back at Irina. “We’ll be upstairs talking if you need me.” I grabbed Leo’s hand and yanked him upstairs to the attic where I was staying. I closed the door to my small, makeshift guestroom and motioned for him to have a seat on the bed.
“So you speak Romanian, huh?” I asked.
“That, along with seven other languages,” he replied.
“Seven? Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all, my love. I’ve had a lot of time to study them.”
“Which languages?”
“Did we really come up here to discuss my linguistic abilities?” he asked.
“Leo, just answer the question.”
He sighed. “Very well. English and Greek are my primary languages, but I am also fluent in Italian, Spanish, Russian, Romanian, French, and Arabic.”
“Holy shit.”
He chuckled as he pulled me onto the bed next to him. “I’ve missed you terribly, my sweet. Are you worried about being attacked again? You should know things have been very quiet. I’m beginning to think she’s really not coming back.” He gave me a look of pity. “I think she’s done enough damage.”
I winced. “You have no idea.”
“Actually, I do. Erica was worried about you so she’s been calling. She told me what happened.”
I sighed. “Damn her. I really wish she hadn’t done that.” I turned towards him. “Leo, I didn’t leave because I’m afraid of Maria. Well, not entirely anyway. I came here originally to have Irina remove the blood bond, but that’s not why I stayed.”
“She’s a witch I take it?” he asked. “Was she successful?”
I nodded. “Yes, it’s gone. She said it was pretty elementary. She also put some kind of rerouting spell over me to throw Maria off my scent since she may have known I was here before it was removed.” I smiled. “I guess it doesn’t cover all blood bonds, huh?”
He closed his eyes and inhaled. “No, thankfully I can still sense you in every way.” He gazed deep into my eyes. “So why did you stay here? To get away from Vance? From me?”
I shook my head. “No, not entirely. I stayed because I needed time to think about things. She’s the only family I have. I needed her to help me through this.”
He grabbed my hand. “You know I’d be your family if you’d let me.”
I looked away sheepishly. “Leo, don’t be so nice to me. I don’t deserve it.”
He ran his hand through my hair and cradled my cheek. “My love, don’t punish yourself for following your heart.”
I looked up at him with guilty tears flooding my eyes. “How can you say that? Maria told me she could feel your pain when Vance and I...when we...” I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. “Oh God, Leo, I was such an idiot!”
He shook his head. “Shh, don’t say that. And don’t worry about me. My feelings for you haven’t changed.”
I fell into his arms and started sobbing. “How can you be so forgiving? So kind?”
He tilted my chin so I was looking up at him. “Because I love you. And I hope that one day you will be able to say the same.”
I wiped my tears. “Leo, I do----”
“Don’t, my love. Don’t feel obligated to say anything. You are in pain, and you need time to heal. I just wanted to be very clear that I will wait as long as you need me to.”
I stretched out in bed, completely exhausted all of a sudden. “Will you stay with me? Hold me until I fall asleep?”
He lay down next to me and pulled me into his embrace. “Of course.”
I snuggled up to him and inhaled his manly soap smell. “Thank you.”
He squeezed me tighter. “Anything for you, my dear.”
*****
I woke up in Leo’s arms. I opened my eyes and noticed that he had moved an armoire over the half-moon-shaped window to block out the sun. There was a light knock on the door which woke him up as well.
“Draga, come down whenever you’re ready. I just wanted to let you know that the drapes are drawn so it is safe to move throughout the house, with the exception of the sun room of course.”
I glanced over at Leo who was smiling. “Thank you, Irina,” I called.
He stretched before kissing the top of my head. “Good morning. Did you rest well?”
Now it was my turn to stretch. “Yeah, I did. I slept better than I have in weeks actually.” I sat up in bed. “What’s been happening since I left?”
He got out of bed and walked over to the chair on which he’d placed his black slacks. Yikes, I’d been in bed with Leo while he wore only boxers and a t-shirt. I was trying really hard not to stare at his amazing body, but I wasn’t doing a very good job.
He cleared his throat, bringing my eyes back to his face. “Have you spoken to anyone in Vegas since you left?”
“I called Erica on my drive here with the new cell you got for me. Thanks for that by the way. And for lending me your car.”
He shrugged. “What’s mine is yours, my dear. You only have to ask.”
I blushed. “Anyway, I’ve spoken to her a couple of times since to check on her, but not for very long. She said she needs time to herself.”
He jerked his head. “She said that, did she?”
“Yeah. Why do you ask? Do you think she wanted me to push for more?”
“I don’t know, my dear. Perhaps you should call her now.” He walked to the end of the room and opened the door leading to the stairs. “I’ll go visit with Irina and give you some privacy.” He closed the door as I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. Huh, that was weird. I shrugged it off and dialed.
She answered on the third ring. “Hey, Kar.”
“Hi, Erica. How are you doing? I’m sorry I haven’t been calling much. Is now a good time to talk?”
“Um…sure. I have a few minutes. I was just sitting down to breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” I asked. “Since when do you cook anything?”
“Oh God, no way. I can’t even boil a pot of water! Vance made really yummy waffles.” Waffles? Oh crap, flashback coming! Chase it away, Karli!
I cleared my throat. “Vance? Why is he at your house making breakfast?”
“Uh, he’s not. At my house, I mean. I’m at his.”
Huh? “Why are you at his house?”
“Because I…um, kinda live with him now.”
What.The.Fuck.
Twenty
“Say that again. I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“Yeah, you did, Kar. I didn’t feel safe with Maria and Jake running around so he offered up his guest bedroom. I tried telling you several times but our conversations were so brief I figured you needed more time.”
I could hear a man talking in the background. “Is that him?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah. He wants to talk to you,” she replied.
“No way,” I said. “I can’t deal with him right now.”
“K, I really think you should give him a chance. I heard his version of the whole incident with Maria. You should at least hear him out. He feels really bad and he misses you.”
“You’re on his side now?” I shrieked.
“No, Karli,” she said. “I’m always on your side. I’m just saying that I think you should hear him out. I don’t think you should cut him loose without listening to him first. I’d regret it if I were you.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I remarked.
She sighed. “When are you coming home, K?”
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “I don’t know. Leo’s here. He chartered a jet. I was thinking of going home with him tonight after sunset.”
“Leo’s in San Francisco?” she asked. “Since when?” I heard Vance in the background trying to get the phone from her. “Shh, hold on,” she whispered to him.
Okay, I really didn’t know how I felt about them being so chummy all of a sudden. “Look, Eri, I gotta go. I’ll call you when I’m back in town.”
“K, wait---” Click. I hung up on her.
I went downstairs to
find Leo and Irina sitting in the living room chatting. She was laughing flirtatiously with her hand on his knee. I paused for a moment before entering the room to read her emotions. She was feeling very affectionate towards Leo. What the hell was going on? Had I woken up in Bizarro World or something?
I cleared my throat. She removed her hand from his knee and gave me a guilty smile. “What’s so funny?” I asked them.
Leo stood and walked over to me, taking my hand in his. “Irina and I were just discussing my last business trip to Bucharest which led to an amusing story about her first date.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. Irina loved attention from the opposite sex and she garnered it easily with her exotic beauty. “Really? You were discussing dating, huh?”
She waved her hand as she was walking out of the room. “Oh, child, you read too much into things.”
Leo guided me over to the couch so we could sit. “Did you reach Erica?” he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did you know she and Vance were living together?”
He nodded. “I thought you should hear it directly from the source rather than get partial information which would undoubtedly lead to jumping to conclusions.”
“I don’t jump to conclusions!” I insisted.
He gave me a wry expression. “You want to rethink that?”
I did. “Okay, maybe I do. Sometimes.”
“Are you ready to head home, my dear?”
I sighed. “Yeah, no time like the present I guess.”
He stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Great,” he said. “I’ll make the arrangements. We can leave right after sundown.”
******
It was a short flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. Too short. As soon as we landed, I was highly tempted to ask the pilot to turn around. Sensing my anxiety, Leo grabbed my arm and kissed my inner wrist. Ah, I loved it when he did that. It simultaneously relaxed and excited me and he knew it.
Smiling with a little fang he asked, “Are you ready to deplane, my love?”
Before I could answer, a crewman opened the door and extended the small ladder. There was a shiny blue Maybach 62S waiting for us, complete with a chauffeur loading our bags.