“I see you have decided not to use the charm,” he said. “Doesn’t it bother you that I might appear at any time?”
I turned my back to him and let my robe fall to the floor.
“You can’t live in fear.”
I walked over to the tub and propped against the rim to test the temperature. I felt completely comfortable sitting there, naked in front of him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen everything before. Still, I normally didn’t do things like this. Then again, anything I would normally do did not apply when Alucard was involved.
He was sitting in the chair beside the fireplace again, the one directly in front of the mirror we had traveled through. Firelight played over the curves and valleys of his body and I envied it. Alucard took a strand of his long hair and pulled it across his face, underneath his nose. He breathed deeply and sighed.
“Your scent still lingers here as does your presence.” He took another deep breath of his hair. “It won’t leave me alone. You haunt me. I may never bathe.”
I laughed. I knew he was teasing. Even though the thought of someone never bathing wasn’t particularly appealing, the thought of him not wanting to wash away my scent was. That was very sexy to me. I walked back over to the mirror and propped on the vanity, leaning forward as one might do over a table. His eyes stared directly into mine instead of directly at my breasts. I liked that too.
“At least your torment could be washed away, replaced with a new scent. You have afforded me no such luxury.”
He leaned forward and his robe opened even more. I could feel my pulse beginning to race.
“Things are not so simple for me,” he said softly. The lights flickered when he spoke, but without the feelings of fear he had at first inspired. Now it was more for dramatic effect.
“Aren’t they? If this doesn’t work out with me then you’ve got all the time in the world to find someone else. You aren’t the one being forced to decide. I imagine it’s easier waiting for a decision than it is having to decide.”
He smiled again and it gave me chills. “Is that what you imagine?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are wrong.”
I didn’t feel like arguing and I had meant to clear my head for a while, not stir things up even more. I walked back over to the tub and turned off the water before climbing in. I positioned myself so that I was facing the mirror and rested back against the tub, spreading my arms along the rim. My breasts floated in the water, almost enough to reveal them completely.
“I want to talk to you about something that happened today,” I said.
I’m not sure why, but I decided to tell him about what happened with the fortune teller. I left out the fact that Brea overheard the conversation since he had no idea that Brea or her brother knew about vampires. In order to protect them, I planned to keep it that way. Instead I told him that Brea went to the bathroom and the woman blurted out my secrets in her absence. He listened quietly through all of this without a response of any kind. He remained motionless for several minutes after I was finished and I waited for him to speak.
“You say she was a witch?”
“That’s right.”
He nodded as if to himself. “Even if she saw what we are, she would never tell. Witches already know we exist and they know better than to open their mouths.”
“That’s good to know, but I wasn’t telling you this in the hopes of getting her killed.”
“Then why were you telling me?”
He wanted me to spell it out. Fine.
“I want to know what she meant about the decision I fear being my destiny and my salvation.”
“Why don’t you wait and ask Vincent?” he said softly.
I told him the truth. “Because I don’t think Vincent knows as much about this as you do. And the more I talk about things, the more it probably bothers him. He’s waiting on a decision just like you. But unlike you, it isn’t by his choice. I didn’t want to put more on him than was necessary.”
“And you think that his wait is more agonizing than mine?”
“Yes I do, and it’s all your fault.”
He spread his arms wide as if accepting the blame I put on him. “So be it. But I do not know what the witch’s message meant.”
“You figured out a way to escape your own death,” I said bluntly. “Figure this out.”
* * * *
I had just put a pot of coffee on the next morning when someone rang my doorbell. For some reason I expected it to be Brea. So, I went to answer it in my bathrobe. Imagine my surprise when I found the dark haired witch standing on my doorstep. She was holding a small covered basket and was wearing a nice sundress instead of jean shorts. Her hair was down and hung in glossy layers over her shoulders.
She offered me a smile and I had to admit that took guts.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
“I wanted to apologize again for yesterday. I didn’t realize who you were until I saw your picture.”
“My picture?”
“On the back of your latest book. You’re my new favorite author,” she admitted, blushing. “But that’s not why I came by. It doesn’t matter who you are, I owe you an apology. I just feel worse somehow after figuring out who you are.”
“How did you find me?”
“I have my ways. Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker and I won’t tell anyone how to find you. I just wanted to bring you these and say again how sorry I am for the way I acted.”
Okay, now I was really feeling like shit.
“I’m sorry too,” I said. “I don’t normally treat people that way.”
It was true. Even though most people were terrible to one another and I hated them for that reason, I didn’t think I should add to the problem.
“Perfectly understandable.”
She held out the basket toward me and I accepted it as I opened the door wider.
“Would you like to come in? I was just making some coffee.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got to be going. These might go good with your coffee though.”
“What are they?” I peeked underneath the red cover on the basket.
“Cookies.”
For some reason I had a strange feeling about taking cookies from a witch.
“What’s in them?”
She laughed. “You say that like you don’t trust me. I swear there is nothing poisonous in them. They’re for clarity of thought. I figured they might help you see your way out of that tough decision you’re facing. And no, I don’t know what it is and I don’t know the answer.” She pointed to the basket. “But these might help.”
“What if I’m not ready for the answer just yet?”
“They’ll keep,” she said, smiling. “They’re good for a month. That’s about how long you’ve got, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She turned to leave and I called after her, “Thank you.”
I went back inside and placed the basket on my kitchen counter while looked for a coffee cup. After that I removed the cover and found more than cookies in the basket. There was a card and inside it was a packet of lavender seeds. I opened the card and read, “Lavender is for luck. Obviously I need to plant some more and I suggest you put these in your garden.”
I might do that, but I wasn’t ready to eat the cookies just yet.
* * * *
Two weeks later, I still wasn’t ready to eat the cookies, but I was ready to stop thinking about it for a few hours. Brea and Matt were throwing me a birthday party two weeks early. Brea had convinced Matt it needed to be early so that everyone’s schedules wouldn’t conflict. The truth was it needed to be early, because I might not be here in two weeks. Either that, or I would be here for a very long time. I still couldn’t make up my mind and as I recalled, the sentence for not deciding was death. It had been agreed upon by the council and there was no going back.
Even though my birthday is in April, Brea was decorating my dinning room more like Halloween. She had pictures up of my books and a
few posters for the upcoming film. They featured pictures of Vincent and I loved them. This was bound to be a blockbuster on his good looks alone. Once people realized there was a plot to boot, we were a shoe-in!
Vincent was upstairs asleep and Matt was on his way. He had graciously volunteered to provide the alcohol. Other guests would be arriving at dusk. That part was Brea’s idea. She was also the one who sent out invitations. The guest list ranged from friends to fellow actors and even a few extras from the movie.
I had gotten dressed early just in case. My hair was piled neatly on top of my head, with a few stray curls hanging down. I hadn’t bothered to straighten it, especially since I had planned to wear it up. My gown was blood red and it reached my ankles. However, little was covered by this dress. Vincent had picked it out and though it looked elegant, I felt exposed. The back was completely open and the neckline plunged dangerously close to indecent exposure. There was a split in back that was so high I had to keep reminding myself not to lean too far forward. I didn’t have a single pair of underwear that wouldn’t show so I wasn’t wearing any. And a bra was out of the question.
I left Brea to finish up and stepped outside to take a look at my garden. I slipped off my heels and walked barefoot across the back yard. The weather was warm enough now that I wasn’t cold, despite my outfit. I really love my rose garden and it was starting to bloom. I had taken the witch’s advice and planted the lavender. Hey, I could use all the luck I could get. I planted it in a thin row right down the front of some bushy red roses. I thought the colors would look good together once they were both in bloom. But the lavender wasn’t up yet and I needed some luck right now.
I felt a warm hand against my back and relaxed when I recognized Matthew’s touch. He put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.
“What’s the matter? And don’t say “nothing.” I’ve watched you mope around for weeks now. What’s on your mind?”
I turned around and looked up into his gentle blue eyes. I wanted to tell him, but now was not the time. If I told Matt everything that was on my mind he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the party. Not only that, but he would spend the next week worrying with me and I didn’t want that. He knew about the visit to the vampire council and the only thing he had been told was the first part of their agreement. That was the part where they said they were willing to forgive Vincent and me. The rest I had only shared with Brea.
I stood on tiptoe and reached for him. Matt leaned forward to accommodate and I kissed him. It was a soft, almost chaste kiss. Since I didn’t know what to say, that was how I answered his question. I tried to let that kiss tell him how much I appreciated his concern. And to apologize because I couldn’t explain what was wrong with me just yet.
Chapter Twenty Two
I pulled back from Matt and fought the urge to cry. Worrying over what to do had nearly driven me crazy. But I didn’t want to eat those damned cookies and I didn’t want to dump my problems on Matt. He didn’t have the solution and it would only make him miserable to know.
“You can tell me later,” he said softly.
Matt took my hand and led me back toward the house. Within the hour the entire downstairs portion of my home was swarming with people. The party was a success and a delightful distraction. Vincent was decked out in his vampire finest. He was wearing solid black, except for his shirt which matched my dress. The front of the shirt had ruffles instead of buttons and hung open to his waist. His tight black pants were an even better distraction than the party and his knee high boots glinted in the light when he moved.
Several actresses walked over, fawning over him, but I didn’t care. He couldn’t have been more disinterested. To anyone who really knew him, you could tell he was only smiling out of politeness. I was okay with all of this until one of them touched him. I saw red, and I wasn’t looking at his shirt. She reached up and touched his goatee and that pissed me off something fierce. It wasn’t just because she put her hands on him, it was because that was something I liked to do to Vincent when we were lying in bed.
Oh, hell no. She was not putting her hands on my vampire at my birthday party. I’m not sure how I would have reacted, because I never got the chance to approach her. I had taken one step in their direction when I heard Brea open the front door. I’m not sure how I heard the door open over the crowd in the foyer. Maybe I just sensed that I should pay attention to what was happening there. I turned just in time to see Alucard and headed in that direction instead.
He was dressed completely in black, except for his red shirt and was wearing the coat with the blood red liner once again. I absolutely loved the way he wore a vest with everything. Something about it made him look more dignified. Whatever it added to his appearance did it for me. I couldn’t look away from him and he wasn’t even using his eyes to hypnotize me. Actually, he was wearing his glasses so no one freaked out over his red eyes. How thoughtful of him.
I was still pissed off about the actress touching Vincent. But like a moth to a flame I worked my way through the crowd toward Alucard. I could hear bits of his conversation with Brea as I drew closer.
“May I come in?” he asked.
She stepped back, that was invitation enough. Damn it. Now I couldn’t keep him out if I wanted to. I was glad to see him, but he was still crashing my party.
“So, how do you know Jewel?” she asked.
“I’m a friend.” As he answered his shadow began to make obscene gestures on the wall beside the door, telling her exactly how well he knew me. Any other time I would have laughed, but under the circumstances I was horrified.
I finally reached them and took him by the hand. It felt right to touch him, but the feel of his hand gave me pause. There was so much in that touch … so much I hadn’t meant to give away. Why had I reached for him? Why not just speak? I think it was because I had to touch him. I just had to.
“Brea, this is Alucard.”
I could tell she was fighting to hide her reaction. After all, Brea wasn’t supposed to know who he was.
“A pleasure to meet you,” she said, extending her hand.
She gasped when he shook her hand and I wondered if he had frightened her or turned her on. You never could tell with him. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his shadow.
“Could you at least control that while you’re here?” I whispered.
His grin seemed to imply I was asking about something other than his shadow.
“That too,” I added. I asked Brea to excuse us and walked toward a semi-quiet corner with Alucard close on my heels.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked hurt. “You didn’t invite me.”
“So, you crashed my birthday party?”
He moved closer and I was almost pinned in the corner. Alucard placed one hand beside me on the wall, blocking my path. I was reminded painfully of the night we’d spent together and it took considerable effort not to run my hands inside his coat and down his pants.
“Why didn’t you invite me?”
I reached up to touch his face. I couldn’t help myself. In the darkness of the corner we shared, there was no one else to see his eyes, so I removed his glasses.
“Because having you here would remind me … of everything. And as much as I wanted to see you, I needed to forget for a few hours.”
“Fair enough.” Alucard withdrew from me and took back his glasses, replacing them as he turned around.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”
He turned back to me and his smile was bittersweet. “Let’s dance first.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. It made me worry even more, but a dance with Alucard did sound nice. Just thinking about the last time we danced got me hot. Besides, didn’t I just say I needed a distraction?
Alucard took me by the hand and led me toward the sound of music coming up the hall. Brea had decided to use the spare room downstairs as dance space. She’d even set up a programmable CD player. She had it set to play
for three hours at a time. There was a large collection of CDs in a cabinet beside it, but she had it locked and I wasn’t sure what happened to the key. It was a good way to keep people from messing with the music. The room was large and open. With the exception of one small table and the cabinet, there was no furniture.
The moment we stepped into the room an unusual song began to play. I recognized it from Brea’s collection. She called it her lust mix and it was entirely instrumental. Alucard smiled his approval. He removed his coat with a flourish and the other people in the room stopped to watch. He tossed his coat over the table and turned to me. The look on his face was all the invitation I needed.
The music was deeply sexual. It was filled with Chinese flutes and other instruments I didn’t recognize the sound of, but I liked it. The rhythm pulsed like a heartbeat. There was chanting, but no real words. It almost sounded religious. But I dared not ask what this music offered homage to.
The more Alucard moved the more I realized he was putting me into a trance. He was using his body to charm me as if I was a snake. Although, I wasn’t the one most likely to bite. He pulled me against him and his palm pressed flat against my bare back. If anyone else remained in the room besides the two of us I was oblivious. I knew only the feel of his body. And that music … rhythmic, changing … lustful.
I ran my hands up his arms, reveling in the feel of his muscles beneath the thin fabric. I remembered what every inch and curve of his body felt like and I longed to lay it bare before me. There were so many things we hadn’t gotten around to doing that night. So many bad things still on my list. I wanted to see those things in his eyes. I wanted a promise of things to come, even if neither of us survived this.
I removed his glasses and Alucard tossed them onto the table with his coat. If anyone noticed, I didn’t care. Maybe they would think he was wearing red contacts. After all we were celebrating the upcoming release of a vampire movie along with my birthday. I began to unbutton his shirt and pressed my lips against his skin.
Diary of an Incubus Page 18