I knew Sergio was still out there, planning and plotting against us, but for just one night I let all that go. We ate, we danced, and we had a good time. Then my beautiful mate offered to ride me until the sun came up. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, especially in a world where the sun never rose. I reminded her of that fact, but she only smiled in return as she undulated above me.
Life was good, and from where I sat, it was only getting better.
Epilogue
~ Danarius ~
Two weeks later...
“Do you mind if I join you Mr. Demarco?”
I glanced up to see Claire standing before me. We’d never met before, but I’d seen enough publicity shots for her studio at Myths and Legends to know it was her. I stood and bowed slightly. “Please, call me Danarius.” I gestured towards the chair across from me and she gracefully lowered herself into it.
I sat back down and she said, “I’m Claire, but I think you already know that. It’s good to meet you Danarius, although this isn’t the first time.”
I took in her long dark tresses, brown eyes and gypsy getup but nothing seemed familiar.
She smiled serenely. “Sometimes our eyes remember things differently than our noses.”
I drew in a long breath through my nose, sifting through the multitude of scents surrounding me. It was difficult to pinpoint in the middle of a crowded restaurant, but it was there - just a hint of something that tugged at my memory.
“It will come to you,” Claire promised, and knowing her reputation I wasn’t inclined to argue.
A waitress arrived with a cup of coffee for Claire. While she stirred in some cream she commented, “I hear you’ve become quite the regular here at The Outer Rim.”
“They have excellent beignets.” I indicated the powdered sugar coated pastries on my plate.
“That’s high praise from someone who lives in New Orleans where the beignets are world famous.”
“World famous or not, the beignets here are worth the trip. Besides, Dragon insists on meeting here rather than Myths and Legends.” I wiped my hands on a cloth napkin and sat back in my chair.
“His caution is warranted. Your newly formed alliance has yet to gain popularity.” Claire sipped her coffee and sighed. “There is nothing better than a good cup of coffee.”
A smile curved my lips when the image of a dark haired beauty floated through my mind. “I could think of a few things I’d rank higher than coffee no matter how well it was brewed.”
She returned my smile. “I’m sure you could Danarius, and that’s why I’m here. I’d like you to meet me on the terrace outside the banquet hall after your meeting with Donovan.”
I considered the woman before me and what I knew of her psychic abilities. “Why the terrace and why then?”
“You’ll find Danarius, that I rarely answer questions of that sort, but my advice is usually worth taking. Come to the terrace after your meeting and satisfy your curiosity.” She finished off her coffee and stood.
I rose from my chair and bowed slightly. “I will consider your advice Claire.”
She smiled serenely and we said our goodbyes. Then I checked the time on my phone and decided to head over to the security office. Now that I had plans for after the meeting I was anxious to get it over with.
Rook arrived shortly after I did, followed by Dragon and then finally Solomon. We took our usual places at the conference table and Dragon started the meeting with, “Where do we stand Solomon?”
“The wards I created around the shadow demon realm are holding strong, but someone has been testing them for weaknesses.”
“Sergio?” Rook inquired.
“That would be my guess,” Solomon replied.
“Does he need to be there physically to test the wards?”
Solomon nodded while he rocked in his chair like a clueless teenager. It was easy to see how someone might underestimate his intellect and his power.
Rook sat forward and rested his arms on the table. “Could the tracking spell you made during the tournament be used to follow him through portals?”
“In theory, yes. In practice, probably not. I’m sure he cast a counter spell the second he felt the charm lock onto his magic.”
Rook glanced at me and then at Dragon who inclined his head. “I don’t think Sergio ever sensed your spell.”
Solomon stopped rocking. “He told me he did. That’s why I sent you that text letting you know it was pointless to use the spell.”
“I still had that charm in my possession when you sent me that text so I know with one hundred percent certainty that it hadn’t been used to track Sergio.”
Now the sorcerer glanced at me.
“Don’t mind me,” I told him with a wave of my hand. “By all means, discuss the traitor in your midst.”
“I’d like to argue with that assumption, but it’s the only explanation that fits,” Solomon admitted ruefully. Then he asked Rook, “Have you used the charm to track him since then?”
“Yes and there was no indication that he could sense the spell. It also came in handy when we tracked you to the fire demon realm. Since the charm was designed to track Sergio’s magic, we used it to locate his traps in the maze. It also let us know when the passageways were going to shift so we could duck into a side tunnel and wait for the right one to come back around. Merek helped us figure out which corridors would lead out of the maze.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Solomon asked, looking back and forth between the other two men.
“Who could have warned Sergio about the charm?” Dragon asked in response to Solomon’s question.
“Anyone who was at the meeting when Rook asked me to create it.”
“Exactly. One of our closest friends warned Sergio. I didn’t want you distracted by that knowledge until the shadow demon realm was completely sealed off.”
I cut into the conversation while Solomon let that sink in. “Is this why you’ve insisted that our meetings take place here, during daylight hours? So they would hopefully go unnoticed by your spy?”
“That’s part of it,” Dragon shrugged, “but I also want to avoid bad publicity for Myths and Legends. If there’s going to be any assassination attempts, I’d prefer they happen here, away from the humans.”
I thought there was probably more to it than that but I let it go. “How close are you to identifying your traitor?”
“We’re not ready to point fingers yet.”
“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help,” I offered. “Although, I’m having a hard enough time sorting out the spies amongst my own people. About a third of my vampires left with Sergio and Bran, but only time will tell if the ones who remained are loyal to me.”
“Take it from me,” Dragon said, meeting my eyes with his steady gaze. “It’s good to be suspicious, but not to the point that you drive people away who would otherwise have your back.”
“Thank you for the advice,” I said, bowing my head slightly to Dragon. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to speed this meeting along. I have an appointment that I don’t want to miss.”
Dragon raised an eyebrow, but we managed to wrap up the meeting in no time. With the shadow demon realm successfully closed off, we were ready to hunt. Sergio and the former councilors who followed Travali were hiding somewhere with stockpiles of caprius plants and stables of blood-crazed vampires. Unfortunately, somewhere meant hundreds of alternate dimensions and demon realms. Solomon was hoping to narrow down the possibilities by tracking Sergio the next time he surfaced. Until then, we were looking for a needle in a haystack.
After the meeting I cut through the banquet hall to the terrace, but stopped short of going outside when I caught a tantalizing scent drifting in through the open French doors. Inhaling deeply, I smiled to myself and wondered how best to thank Claire - flowers perhaps, or maybe a basket of gourmet coffees. Leaving the decision for later, I stepped into the open doorway.
The terrace was a large half
circle made of gleaming white marble with a three-foot wall around its outer edge. Beyond the terrace, the landscape was picturesque with twin moons glowing over dense forests on the right and left, and a vast body of water straight ahead. Far below my current position, I could hear waves crashing against a rocky shore.
I did a quick scan and found only one other person in the area. It was a woman and she was leaning forward with her arms resting on the outer wall. She appeared to be admiring the view, which was spectacular, but not nearly as alluring as the woman herself was.
I took another step, and then spoke as I sauntered out onto the terrace. “If I were a paranoid man, I might think you’ve been avoiding me.”
The woman spun around to face me with her hands flying up to cover her heart.
“My apologies,” I said, bowing my head slightly. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I was asked to meet someone here, but now I suppose she isn’t coming.”
The woman’s brows drew together then her spine straightened and her arms fell to her sides. She wore a tasteful black dress that managed to be sexy and professional while leaving most of her long legs exposed for my viewing. Her body was lean with curves in all the right places and her silken mane of black hair fell in loose curls to her waist.
I only had a second to take in her exquisite beauty before she spat, “Claire.”
“She’s an interesting woman, don’t you think?” I asked, slowly moving forwards.
“Meddlesome might be a more accurate description,” she replied, watching my every step.
“Perhaps from your perspective,” I agreed, “but from mine, she’s rather helpful.”
She let out a delicate snort and turned her head towards the horizon. She had yet to meet my eyes directly.
When I was close enough that I could reach out and touch her, I stopped and let my gaze travel over every inch of her luscious body. She shivered and took a step back, but the outer wall stopped her from going any farther.
Grinning, I said, “Having faced each other in battle, it’s hard to believe we’ve never been properly introduced. I am Danarius Demarco, Master of the New Orleans vampires.”
“I know who you are, just as I’m sure you know my name is Katerina.” Her voice was soft, inviting despite her tense body language.
“Katerina...” I let her name roll off my tongue.
She shivered for a second time when I said her name so I stepped closer to her and said it again. “Katerina is the perfect name for a mysterious beauty such as you. I can clearly see why you chose it over the name you were given at birth.”
Her eyes snapped to mine and I welcomed the magnetic force that drew us closer still. I wrapped one arm around her slim waist and pulled her against my body while my other hand threaded through her dark curls to the back of her head.
“Yes Katherine,” I whispered, looking deep into her brown eyes. “I know your true name. I also know why you hide from me, but I’ve seen our future in your eyes and we both know it cannot be avoided.”
“The future is never set in stone,” she breathed, sliding her hands up my chest.
“Perhaps not,” I agreed, and a deep growl crept into my voice as I continued, “But our future was engraved on my soul the moment you opened your eyes in that arena. Run if you must, hide if you must, but know that in the end I will find you, and I will have you as my mate.”
Rather than arguing as I expected her to, she reached up and pulled my head down to hers. Our lips met and the world was set ablaze. Her soft curves melted against my hard body as our tongues tangled in a heated rush. Never, had I known such pleasure from simply kissing a woman. It felt as though every cell in my body had been set on fire, burning with desire for the woman in my arms.
Too soon, the kiss ended when she turned away gasping for breath. “I can’t do this Danarius.”
“I’m not sure you have a choice Katerina,” I said, loosening my grip on her as she turned to face me once again.
Red flames consumed her usually brown eyes. “I will always have a choice Danarius. The fates, my dragon, and even you can all be damned for all I care.”
She pushed hard on my chest and I stumbled backwards as she hopped up and flipped herself backwards over the outer wall. I stepped forward just in time to see her smooth transformation as she became the giant red dragon that saved my life in the arena. I watched her soar through the air until she finally swooped down and disappeared into the trees.
“Run if you like,” I murmured to myself, striding towards the banquet hall. It was only a matter of time before I found her again, and when I did, I would make sure that escape was the last thing on her mind.
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read this novel. Now that you’re finished, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Tempting Magic and the Myths and Legends series. Please let me and other avid readers like yourself know what you’re thinking by posting a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever books and eBooks are sold or talked about online.
Best wishes,
Stacie Simpson
More to Come...
For information on more to come in the world of Myths and Legends, visit Stacie’s website: http://www.staciesimpson.com
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Email: [email protected]
About the Author
Stacie Simpson writes erotic romance with a paranormal twist. She has been an avid reader for many years but only recently discovered her love of writing. Stacie lives in Florida with Maximo, a wonderful man who provides much appreciated inspiration and encouragement. When she’s not reading or writing she enjoys going to the movies, watching the Miami Heat play basketball and spending time with her adult children. She is currently working on the next book in the Myths and Legends series.
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