Ally’s parents were to explain everything to her and introduce him on the day they died. That is how he had come to be in her kitchen that fateful morning. And here I am again with great news for her. She will never accept me or this life if all I bring is bad news he thought, with an internal grimace.
James stopped pacing and slumped back down into the chair opposite Adele. “I understand it is a lot for her to take in and accept but she must. There is no other choice, there never was… She was just given the gift of ignorance for an extra five years when her mother and father were killed.”
“You’re right, I don’t like it but you are right. Her ignorance of the situation nearly got her killed tonight.” Adele was racked with guilt for not telling Ally but the girl had lost her parents and it just didn’t seem right at the time to take whatever little life she had left. “If you hadn’t been tracking her thoughts and alerted me, I would never have known. I seem to have become a little too complacent about things.” Adele said, her eyes filled with worry and regret. She took a sip of her coffee as James looked at her with determination.
“I’m taking her tonight, Adele. I will not sit by waiting for her to come to terms with things. You know as I do that she will not accept it. She will refuse to believe it!” James ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “I heard her tonight, Ally was convinced Vincent was some guy that belonged in the loony bin, because she thought he was from an underground group of vampire worshippers.” His mind was made up he would take her with force if he had to.
Adele stared at James with a determination that matched his. “You think it will be bad when she wakes up and I tell her? Well take her away and see what happens. She will never accept you or the immortals if you do that.” Adele knew that it was probably the best option but she had to argue on behalf of her granddaughter. Immortal men were notoriously dominating and controlling. They thought they knew best and that females should follow orders. She couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at the thought. James was quite ignorant of modern women and Alessandra would tell him exactly what she thought and do exactly what he told her not to do.
“What could possibly be amusing right now?” he drawled, clearly not amused.
“Oh James, you have a lot to learn about women from this day and age. Things have changed a lot since our time.” She chuckled again.
He glared at her with supreme annoyance. “She is my responsibility. I am taking her.” His tone told Adele that no argument would be tolerated but he was only taking Ally out of here because she allowed it. The man had no idea what maternal instincts were capable of. Let him think he was controlling the situation. It would hurt no one right now.
Adele looked at him about to agree when she remembered something. “I think she already knows some of this, James.”
“How could she possibly know?” he asked with a touch of sarcasm.
She glared at him and continued. “Five years ago she saw a Fortune Teller. She told Ally something that distressed her and then after her parents died, she said the oddest thing…”
James raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue.
“She said it has begun.” Adele’s mind was racing trying to decipher what she knew or didn’t know. Maybe this would be easier than they thought.
James sat up straight, taken aback. “What a strange thing for her to say. She must know something.” He thought for a minute then continued. “But the plan is flawed because nothing had begun that day.”
Adele took another sip of coffee still following her train of thought. “What if it had begun, but she knew something that we didn’t. I wish I had asked what it was,” she sighed.
“So let me get this right, she went to see a Fortune Teller and was obviously distressed by what she was told. Her parents are killed and then she says it has begun.”
“Exactly,” Adele was feeling proud of herself for putting these pieces together.
James looked at her with absolute disbelief that she hadn’t mentioned it before. “And you didn’t think to tell me earlier because…”
“Because I didn’t realise its importance at the time,” Adele glared at him.
“Sorry, I’m just out of my mind here. I don’t know what to do.” James sighed putting his head in his hands for a moment.
She reached across the table and patted his arm gently. “I know, James.”
He looked up and at her with soulful eyes that conveyed his thanks for her understanding.
“I have an idea.” Adele said with a hint of excitement. “I agree that we should take her away but the ball is tomorrow night.”
“And that is important because?”
“You have to be a female to understand, but the ball is also for charity. I can’t just ditch them now.”
James admired her honour but surely at a time like this there were exceptions to be made, he could always write them a big cheque later. “Adele,” he started.
She held up her hand to make him stop speaking. “No hear me out. We make her forget what happened tonight. She can go to the ball feel like Cinderella for a night with her prince charming. This is where you come in. Then we tell her the truth after the ball and take her to Carlisle Manor in Scotland.”
James looked at her, ready to dismiss the idea straight away but then he thought about it for a minute. He had to admit the offer was very tempting. One night with Alessandra before chaos reigned would be a nice memory to hold onto. She could get to know him before she found out that they were destined to be together. He got up and started to pace again, mulling things over in his mind.
Adele smiled secretly knowing she had won that battle.
After a few minutes he stopped and looked back. “Straight after the ball we tell her?” he clarified.
“Yes, straight after the ball. She will be here with me and you and another immortal I invited. No harm will come to her. Everyone has a wonderful time then we leave.”
James sat back down. “I have an awful feeling about this, Adele.”
“Stop worrying and have fun for once in your long, boring life,” She joked.
“Very funny, Adele,” he smirked at her over the coffee in his hand.
“Go upstairs and make her forget tonight, only temporarily though.” She said her voice becoming suddenly serious.
James got up from the chair and headed towards Ally’s bedroom. He started up the stairs lost in his own thoughts about tonight. What if I hadn’t got there in time? Vincent was so close to her! And how the hell did he find her? As he reached her bedroom door, he paused and collected himself. He needed to focus on what he was about to do or it wouldn’t work.
“I still think it is a bad idea,” he muttered to himself as he put his hand on the doorknob. James opened the door. Silently, like a cat, he glided into the bedroom. Ally would never know he was there unless he wanted her too.
He sat down by her bed. She looked so peaceful, in her white wash wooden king sized bed, tucked up under the white Egyptian cotton sheet and simple violet quilt. James gathered from her taste, she was a woman who liked the little luxuries life had to offer. He would offer luxuries she had never dreamed of and a love like no other. Leaning in closely, James whispered in her ear, “My darling Alessandra, please forgive me. I do this to protect you.”
“James.” She whispered softly in her sleep.
It was almost his undoing. His name was on her lips, her voice soft and husky. A voice that was the most seductive thing he had ever heard and Alessandra was the most enticing sight he had ever seen. He wanted her with a fierceness he had never felt before.
They were soulmates, two halves of the same whole. She called to him and he answered.
Fighting temptation with everything he had, James leaned down once more and in a soft, smooth, sexy voice filled with compulsion, he whispered, “Forget tonight for now, my darling Alessandra. You will remember what happened later, when you need to.”
All Immortals and Vampires had the ability to add compulsi
on into their voice, leaving the victim no choice but to do what they demanded. She had experienced the evil side of compulsion tonight with Vincent. He had compelled her to stay. James had felt her struggle against it but in the end Vincent would have won. Until she was brought fully into the immortal existence, Ally would be controlled easily. Once the transition was complete, she would be immune to compulsions from Vincent or anyone else.
He placed a light kiss upon her forehead. She was deep in sleep. James got up and moved to the one seater chair next to the fireplace, opposite her bed. There was nothing else to be done so he sat down and got comfortable, deciding he would spend the night watching over Ally to make sure she was safe and no other harm befell her.
Chapter Four
THE FOLLOWING MORNING ALLY WALKED INTO the kitchen, to track down a much needed coffee after her late night stakeout. Her grandmother was in the process of making coffee as she walked through the doorway.
“I thought I could smell something delightful,” Ally smirked.
“Late night?”
“Yeah.” The morning was unusually bitter and cold. She was so glad for her favourite warm and comfortable track pants, jacket and lamb’s wool ugg boots.
“Did you catch them?” Adele asked.
“Yeah, I think so,” she answered, feeling unexpectedly confused. She sank down in a chair at the table and ran her fingers through her hair as Adele handed the coffee to a very grateful Ally.
Adele studied her for a minute and asked, “What do you mean, you think so?”
Ally scrunched her eyebrows together thinking and trying to remember last night but after a certain point, she couldn’t.
“I remember seeing my mark, Sarah came home and then some guy was in her apartment but that’s all I remember…”
Adele felt guilty seeing her granddaughter clearly distressed, but she told herself it was for Ally’s benefit not to remember just yet. She sat down at the table with Ally and put her hand on her arm. “You are obviously exhausted honey. Don’t worry too much about it.”
“Hmm…maybe,” she shook her head lightly trying to clear the fog. It was like the memories were there but she couldn’t access them. How strange she thought.
“It’s just a sign you’re getting old and senile,” Adele joked.
Ally looked at her over the cup of coffee in her hands and glared. “Gee thanks Grandma.”
“Have I ever told you I don’t know what I would do without you Ally?” Adele said abruptly solemn.
“Is everything alright, Gran?” Ally looked at her and thought she caught a flicker of something in her eyes. It was so quick that if she had blinked, it would have been missed.
Adele started fluttering about, trying to play it down. “Everything is fine sweetie I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me and that I would be lost without you.”
Ally smiled warmly at her and got up, walked over and gave her a hug. Adele stood up and returned the hug.
In truth it went both ways. Alessandra needed Adele and Adele needed Alessandra. They had been the only ones left after the dearly departed had gone. They had relied on each other to get through a very difficult time and had become quite the successful duo in many aspects. Life would have been a lot harder if they hadn’t had each other during the last five years. There had been tears, love and laughter, sometimes all at once. Grief was such a strange thing. Sometimes she wanted to cry her eyes out, other times she was as angry as hell and sometimes she wanted to laugh hysterically at the situation. Ally had seriously considered she was going crazy till she saw her grandmother acting the same way.
Adele decided to change the subject before she confessed, out of guilt, to removing Ally’s memories, “You are coming to the masquerade ball tonight aren’t you?”
Ally cocked her head to the side and laughed. “It’s a bit hard not to, when it’s being held in the house.”
Adele shook her head and smiled, “So I will take that as a yes then?”
“Yes, I will be there.”
“Good. There is someone I want you to meet.” Adele moved back to the table and sat down.
“Who?” Ally asked curiously.
“You met him once.” Adele said as she looked at her granddaughter with a wicked twinkle in her eye.
Alessandra’s breath arrested in her chest as her mind whispered his name. Could it be James? She wondered with a hope that bordered on desperation.
Adele couldn’t hide the wide smile that crept over her face as she delivered the news. “James Carlisle.”
Ally froze in part fear part excitement. The man she had been dreaming of for five years was coming to the masquerade ball tonight.
“I think I remember him. He was here the morning that…well that morning.” Ally tried to play it down like he was nothing but a vague recollection which was so far from the truth.
“He is back in town so I thought it would be nice to catch up with him. The last time he was here…” her voice started to break. It was still hard for either of them to talk about her parents, the pain still fresh in their minds.
“I know Gran. I miss them too.” Her eyes started to water at the memory of that day.
“And you know I invited Kathryn,” Adele smiled changing the subject. “You girls haven’t seen each other in far too long.”
“Yeah it has been a while.” For a reason, she thought to herself.
Kathryn had been at that fateful reading and knew she would lose two special people and that she would meet James, not to mention Vincent. It wasn’t entirely Kathryn’s fault but Ally had felt uncomfortable around her ever since. Maybe it was time to see her again, put the past behind them, but then she realised that James was coming.
Would Kat remember the name? She had never told her that she met him that morning. It was something that she wanted to keep to herself.
“Well I had better get myself something to wear.” Alessandra stood up and started to head for her room. Then stopped dead in her tracks at the full realisation of what she had just thought.
“Vincent,” she whispered.
Pure terror started in her toes then shot straight to the tips of her hair. She looked up at her grandmother. Adele had stopped still and was looking straight at Ally with terror reflecting back at her.
“Who is Vincent?” Adele asked, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.
Ally looked to the ground, trying to understand why she felt so scared. “I don’t know,” she whispered then paused and bit her lower lip. “All I know is that he terrifies me.” She looked up at her grandmother. “But I don’t know who he is.”
Ally started to tremble, she couldn’t remember last night and she was scared of some guy called Vincent even though she had never met someone called Vincent before, or at least she thought she hadn’t…
Adele rushed over to hug her granddaughter. “I think you need to go back upstairs and spend the day relaxing.”
“Yeah” she said, recovering slightly. “I must be overtired or something.” Turning to go back upstairs, she suddenly stopped. “No, wait, I can’t.” She cried as she realised something of great importance about tonight. “I don’t have a dress. I need to go buy one.”
Adele laughed softly. “Well I was going to surprise you a bit later but I have taken care of that for you. Go on upstairs and I will bring it up.”
Ally walked up the stairs and went into her bedroom. She went out onto the balcony for a breath of crisp fresh air. Maybe that will jog my memory she thought. How strange that I can’t remember last night and now I’m scared of some guy I have never met. She leaned on the balcony railing and lost herself in thoughts while she waited for Adele to bring the dress up.
It was very sweet of her grandmother to organise a dress for her and to try and rekindle her friendship with Kat. They had been so close that she had considered her the sister she never had.
As for James, if he had been an old family friend that was so important, he would have been spoken of at least once in
the last five years. Then there was the gleam in her eye. Gran was up to something and she was clearly very proud of herself. It made Ally a little nervous.
The thought of James did strange things to her body that she had never experienced before. He had been in her presence for all of five minutes and he still haunted her to this day. Madame Isabella had been right about her parents and she had met James, maybe there was something between them that was written in the stars. Oh god, she thought to herself, I sound like Kat and she isn’t even here yet.
Just then there was a knock at her bedroom door. “It’s just me darling. Are you ready to see your dress?” Gran asked as she sauntered into the room.
Ally smiled and nodded coming back inside.
Adele held the dress up before Ally.
It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her life. It had a stunning simple elegance about it, made of deep scarlet satin that fell to the floor with a low square neckline and a slight gathering at the back. She knew she would feel like a princess in this dress.
“It was mine and then your mother’s,” Adele proudly stated to Ally who was still staring at the dress in awe. “And now it is yours.”
Ally was rendered speechless by the dress and the beautiful sentiment behind it. She felt her eyes well with tears of happiness, one escaped and rolled down her cheek.
Adele wiped it away with her thumb, “She would have loved nothing more than for you to have it and wear it tonight.”
“Thank you Gran,” she said with heartfelt sincerity.
“I have accessories too,” Adele said, as she pulled a pair of matching stilettos and a half mask with a scarlet feather, from behind her back. “These are all new though.”
“Oh my!” Ally sighed with contentment. “They are beautiful as well. Thank you so much,” she said slightly shaking her head in disbelief.
Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) Page 4