by Ashlyn Chase
“Oh. Well, it would have been nearly impossible since the phone is password protected. I take it that’s not your phone.”
“Forget the stupid phone.” Ruxandra resumed pacing. “What I was going to say before the phone buzzed is that I have to move you.”
“Move me? Where?”
“Somewhere that’s not here.”
Claudia rolled her eyes. “Hopefully somewhere with a bathroom.”
Ruxandra halted and stared at her flippant captive. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“That you should be afraid. That I’m a vampire. That I could rip your head off, bash your skull in, and drink out of it like a goblet.”
A flicker of something akin to fear showed in Claudia’s eyes. Not fear. Revulsion. Then she reverted back to her annoying defiance. “Then why don’t you?”
“If only…”
Chapter 14
The following evening, Anthony visited the witch-vampire Morgaine. Does that make her a wampire? Or a vitch? He was trying to distract himself from frantic worry by thinking the most ridiculous things. Nothing was helping, though. As he’d feared, Claudia hadn’t come home and Sadie couldn’t pinpoint her location. He was sure Ruxandra had her.
Morgaine seemed like a smart, sympathetic woman—much like Claudia herself. Sly had made an appearance just to shake Anthony’s hand and introduce himself. Then he’d said he had some business to attend to downstairs and left his apartment.
“Can I get you some tea?”
“Not unless reading tea leaves will help find my girlfriend.”
Morgaine chewed her lower lip. “I’m sorry, no. Tea leaves are good for estimating time, but not place. I was just hoping a nice cup of tea would help you relax.” She tipped her head. “Have you fed recently?”
“Uh, no. Do I look paler than I should?”
Morgaine appeared conflicted for a moment, then strode to her kitchen, saying, “I’ll be right back.”
Crap. I must look like hell. He glanced at his hands. They were almost white and cold to his own touch.
She returned with a glass of red wine. “Here. Drink this.”
Anthony sighed but figured some wine might help steady his nerves. Tipping up the glass, he took a long, deep swallow. The taste was…different. Not quite like any wine he’d had before. There was a bit of a metallic tang, which reminded him of blood.
Something amazing was happening. He looked at his hands again. Color and warmth were filling them. He not only felt calmer, but happier. Never had he experienced a wine that could do this so instantly.
“What kind of wine is this?” he asked.
She smiled. “It’s our own vintage. We call it Vampire Vintage, and had we not discovered it, we’d be slaves to bloodlust and at the mercy of the sun again.”
“You mean this is how you’re able to walk in daylight?”
She nodded.
He noticed another change. He was no longer hungry. It was as if he’d consumed a pint of blood, not a sip of wine. He held the glass at eye level and studied it. It looked like any other red wine. Perhaps a cabernet.
“I don’t understand. How is this possible?”
She grinned, leaned forward, and whispered conspiratorially. “It’s our little secret.” Then she leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile on her face.
“Where do you get it?”
“We make it.”
He almost didn’t dare ask for more, but if Ruxandra had Claudia, and Morgaine uncovered Ruxandra’s lair, he could walk in there and rescue his lover without a fight. He could even drag Ruxandra’s lifeless body into the sunlight and leave her to fry. The thought startled him.
One thing Sadie’s psychic senses had been able to tell him was that Claudia was still alive. He hoped his niece wasn’t just giving him reassurance out of pity, but he’d never known Sadie to lie.
He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Morgaine, I’d pay you handsomely for a bottle of this. Can you spare any?”
She rose and sashayed to the kitchen. Upon her return she carried two full, unopened bottles. “We don’t make Vampire Vintage available to just anyone, but Sly and I discussed it beforehand. Nick vouched for you, so, yes. You can have these two bottles. If you’d like more when they’re gone, we can begin selling it to you.”
He took the precious wine bottles and set them on the rug beside his feet. “Thank you. I’m extremely grateful. I insist on paying for them, however.”
“Insist all you want.” She grinned. “We received three free bottles when we first learned about it. We’re paying it forward.”
Overwhelmed at their generosity, he placed his hand over his heart. “I don’t know what to say…thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, you wanted me to do a locator spell?”
“Yes. If you can.”
“I can, and I will. I’ll even let you pay me for that. I studied witchcraft the way doctors study their craft.”
Anthony thought “witch doctor” and chuckled for the first time in two nights. Yeah. I’m losing it.
Morgaine excused herself for a moment and returned with a few items. She unfolded a map of the city and spread it out across her coffee table. Then she leaned over it, anchoring her elbow on the border. A pointed stone dropped out of her hand and dangled from a chain.
“Okay. We’re looking for your girlfriend. Claudia, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have anything of hers with you?”
“Yes. I have a key to her apartment and brought a few things with me. I was told it might help.” He fished her hairbrush out of his pocket. A few strands of her shiny, light brown, blond-highlighted hair clung to the bristles.
Morgaine took it in her other hand, held it next to her chest, and closed her eyes. After a long pause, she said, “Goddess, please point to Claudia, Mr. Cross’s girlfriend. He’s very concerned for her safety and needs your help. If it’s for the good of most, so mote it be.”
The candles flickered, Morgaine fell silent, and at first it seemed as if nothing was happening. Then the pendulum began to swing.
Soon, the stone was swinging in a circular direction, round and round, but it wasn’t pointing to anything. The candle flames grew higher, and Morgaine’s facial expression became strained.
Shit. What does this mean? Is she… Anthony snapped his mind away from the negative thought so fast he had mental whiplash. She has to be all right. She just isn’t easy to locate. Or the goddess isn’t ready to answer. Or something else.
Morgaine opened her eyes and seemed surprised by the wild swinging of the pendulum.
“This isn’t the right map.”
Anthony leaned back. “What do you mean? She isn’t in Boston?”
“Yeah. This doesn’t happen unless the goddess can’t point her out.”
His heart lodged in his throat. “I—uh…hate to ask this, but could it mean she’s…nowhere?”
Morgaine’s eyes rounded. “You think she’s dead?”
“I’m asking you.”
“Holy cow. No. She’s not dead. She’s just outside the greater Boston area.” Morgaine shook her head as if Anthony were an errant schoolboy.
He threw his hands in the air. “Hell, I don’t know. I’m scared out of my mind and looking for any sign of hope. So far, I’ve heard nothing except ‘She’s not dead’ to hold on to.”
Morgaine gave him a sympathetic, sad smile. “I know. But, hey… That’s something, isn’t it? She’s not dead. We know that.”
He let out a deep breath. One he’d been holding since he arrived. “I’m sorry. You’re right. That in itself is good news.”
“I have more maps. Let me go get one for Massachusetts and New England. If those don’t work, I can borrow my cousin’s atlas. We’ll find her.”
***
Claudia’s crossed leg wagged as she sat on an ice chest and tried not to get seasick. It was obvious the captain and deck hands had no idea she was onboard. Ruxandra made sure of that when she compelled each one of them. She’d told them to sail east and not to stop until they reached land.
She had to have known a fishing boat didn’t have the gas to get to Europe. So here they were—stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, out of gas, and bobbing on the waves. The captain stayed at the wheel, as if they were still sailing east with no trouble.
And Claudia still had to go to the bathroom.
***
Kurt stood outside Ruxandra’s door, holding a dozen red roses. He knew it was a clichéd gesture but he hoped she’d overlook a lack of creativity since he still didn’t know her well. Maybe later on he could bring her something more personal. He smiled, realizing he actually hoped there would be a “later on.” He was no longer just doing a favor for Anthony. He was seeing Ruxandra for himself.
Her door swung open and she stood there framed in candlelight. Her blond hair tumbled over her shoulders in shiny waves, and her long, red dress skimmed the floor and clung to her curves. What a knockout.
“Are those for me?” she asked, delighted.
“They are, m’lady.” Kurt couldn’t help feeling corny, but she seemed very happy as she took the roses from him and buried her nose in them. Sometimes corny was the way to go.
“I’ve never seen your place,” he said. “May I come in?”
She stepped aside and said, “Of course. Please.”
He walked inside the…studio? Bare room? Storage locker? Glancing around, he didn’t see anything but four bare walls and a few possessions. At least he could tell Anthony that Claudia definitely wasn’t there. He didn’t even have to make an excuse to search the other rooms. There weren’t any.
Then he spotted the white coffin. She couldn’t be in there, could she? Strolling over to it, he tried to keep his heart rhythm steady. Ruxandra might be able to hear a sudden change in beats.
“Is this your bed?” he asked innocently.
“Yeah. Not very romantic, but practical if the unthinkable happens and my lair is discovered by someone I don’t trust during my death sleep. It locks from the inside.” She opened it and pointed to a sophisticated-locking mechanism.
Empty. Claudia’s definitely not here. He nodded. “We’ll have to go to my place when you’re ready,” he said with a teasing wink.
She didn’t ask what he meant. She simply stared at her feet.
Is she shy? Nothing could surprise him more. Perhaps she was just making sure she was wearing the right pair of shoes.
“I—um…I didn’t know how to dress. You’re probably not taking me out to dinner…”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t know how. But, I’m a practical guy, and I know you’ve gotta eat. Is that something you need to take care of soon?”
“No.” She shook her head, then stopped suddenly as if an important thought had just occurred to her. “Are you offering?”
He took a step back. “Uh, no. I think we should probably get to know each other for a while. From what I understand, that’s pretty intimate, isn’t it?”
She set a hand on her perfect hip. “And taking me to your bed isn’t?”
He grinned. “You got me there. I guess we’ll have to figure it out as we go along. Are you up for a stroll?”
“Sure. I need to find a vase and some water for these beautiful roses. Maybe we can make a grocery store our first stop.”
“No need.” Kurt waved the shape of a vase around the roses and visualized a pretty aqua glass with water sloshing around the inside. Soon, mass and gravity came together, and Ruxandra grabbed the glass vase before it hit the floor. A few water droplets escaped, but other than that, his execution was perfect. He was tempted to say, Ta-da!
“Nice trick,” she breathed in awe.
He grinned, thrilled that he could impress a woman without being interrogated or accused of being demonic. Yeah, he no longer dated ministers’ daughters.
Ruxandra set the vase on top of the coffin and opened a trunk. She pulled out a red lace handkerchief and used it as a doily on top of the coffin. It complemented the roses beautifully.
“There,” she said. “That looks really pretty.” She strolled up to him and placed a peck on his lips. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since anyone gave me roses without my commanding them to.”
He grinned. “I know Anthony’s my friend and everything, but if you’ll forgive me for saying so, what an idiot.”
She laughed. “I’ll not only forgive you for saying it, but you can say it again if you like. I’m glad someone thinks I’m worthy…”
Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip. A second before she whirled around, he thought he saw some red liquid shimmering in her eyes.
“Oh, hey…” He said softly as he gently turned her around. She was hanging her head and a red tear trickled down one cheek. “Ruxandra…”
He pulled her into his embrace, but she pushed away. “No. I—I’m sorry. I have to pull myself together. I don’t do self-pity, and besides, I’ll get blood on your clothes.” She grabbed the red handkerchief from under the roses so quickly that they didn’t tip over.
Now, there’s a neat trick.
As soon as she’d finished drying her eyes, he tipped up her chin and searched her face. What he saw there was more than a woman with a wounded ego. He saw a woman who sincerely wanted to be better. What he thought of her mattered. What she thought of herself mattered. His heart softened and he stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“I know.” She chuckled, then shrugged. “Well, I’m not going to pretend I don’t know that. Contrary to popular myth, I can see myself in a mirror.”
He leaned back and laughed. “Ruxandra, I have to tell you, I was worried that you might not be honest with me.”
“Really? Why?”
“Well, you have a reputation of trying to manipulate people.”
Her face fell and he immediately felt like an idiot. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said—”
She placed a finger over his lips. “No. You’re absolutely right. And I want you to tell the truth too.”
He looked at her askance. “Even if I know you’re not going to like what I have to say?”
She bit her lip and hesitated. Then as if coming to a decision, she straightened her spine and said, “Yes. Even then.”
He couldn’t help admiring her for that. Still, he wished he had a voice recorder handy.
He offered her his arm. “Shall we go? It’s a lovely evening for a walk.”
She smiled and said, “Yes, it is.”
***
“What do you mean, she’s in the ocean?”
Morgaine pointed to the spot where the pendulum met the map. “I’m sorry, but look. There she is.”
Anthony wasn’t sure how much witches could see, so with trepidation he asked, “Is she all right?”
“I’m still getting the sense that she’s alive.”
“And in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Well, not in it. More like on it.”
“Whew. Is there an island there?”
Morgaine studied the map closely. “It doesn’t look like it.”
Anthony scratched his head. “So she must be on a ship. What would make her suddenly decide to go for a cruise if she wasn’t compelled?”
“Maybe she was.”
Anthony swore under his breath. “Who would compel her, if not my ex? My wizard friend assured me he protected her from all Ruxandra’s tricks. Hell, he even accidentally protected her from my abilities. I tried to mesmerize her and couldn’t do it…twice.”
“You couldn’t mesmerize her? Can you t
ouch her?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“But you said Ruxandra couldn’t touch her, so the spell worked.”
“Yes… What are you getting at?”
Morgaine smiled. “Can you communicate with her telepathically?”
“Uh… It happened once when we were intimate. I’ve been reaching out to her with my mind, but she’s not answering me.”
“She’s probably too far away. Anthony, do you know what that means?”
“I’m not sure. What are you thinking?”
“Claudia is your beloved.”
Anthony had hoped but wasn’t sure. Vampires only had one beloved in their lifetimes. Many never found theirs. “How do you know? Does it have something to do with my not being able to compel her?”
“Yes. That’s another sign. That’s when Sly and I first suspected we were connected on a different level. I wanted him to compel me, and he couldn’t. I had hoped he could ease my agoraphobic symptoms, so I really, really wanted it to happen.”
Anthony didn’t know how to respond. If Claudia were with him, he’d be overjoyed. On a deep level, he’d suspected they were blessed in that way, but with the horrific news that she was somewhere unreachable and in who knows what shape… He almost hoped she had broken her sobriety and was able to comfort herself with… No. He wanted her health and happiness above all else. That meant not abusing a poison she couldn’t control.
He dropped his head in his hands.
A moment later the door opened, and he heard Sly ask, “You called me, darling?”
“Yes. I thought you might be able to commiserate with Anthony. Remember when I was kidnapped by your maker and held as bait?”
Anthony looked up and Sly came over to him. “Boy, do I ever. I was never so terrified.” He placed a hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “But my clever wife got away.”
Anthony sighed and leaned back. “I’m afraid this is a little different. My ex is the only person I can think of who’d want to harm my beloved, and Ruxandra isn’t holding her as bait. She’s still in Boston, but Claudia is somewhere in or on the Atlantic Ocean. And she has no knowledge of magic to get away.”
“Shit,” Sly said. Then he looked at Morgaine and she squirmed uncomfortably.