"Stay away from me, Aria, and for chrissakes, guard your mind when you're fantasizing about me!"
Aria gasped and sputtered as heat crept into her face. “You arrogant ass!"
"I'm doing you a favor,” Rialto replied, his voice completely emotionless. “Despite these dreams we've both had, the two of us can never be intimate."
"Then don't play games with me if you don't want me."
"I'm not."
"Then what the hell was that? Pretending you were going to kiss me only to shove me away and make me feel like an idiot? Is that the way you get your kicks?"
"I was going to kiss you—and a whole lot more than that—but fortunately my brain caught up to the other parts of my body. Once you get your hormones under control and can think clearly, you'll see that I did the right thing."
Aria huffed. “Believe me, vampire, I do not have my panties in a twist over you, so don't speak to me as if I'm some hormonal teenager throwing myself at you!"
"You're not? Those fantasies you're having are so strong I can pick up on the actual images. The heat in your eyes while you look at me can damn near burn my flesh. You're not angry right now because I've said something to offend you. You're angry because despite the fact that I'm a vampire and a killer you want me anyway."
"Oh really? So why are you so mad right now? Maybe because you want me but aren't man enough to—"
Aria found herself pressed against his chest, his mouth ravishing hers with passionate force, effectively cutting off the rest of her barb. The kiss softened, but it remained just as intense as it had begun, and Aria had to agree with Rialto on one thing—a dead man certainly couldn't kiss like this. She felt the kiss all the way down to her toes which were curling from the overwhelming sensations coursing through her body. Images from her dreams slammed into her mind, and she had to find out if the live version of the man could compete with the dream version. She lowered her hands to the towel at his waist, but a sound at the door jerked them to a halt.
The bolt Rialto had set slid to the side and the door swung open to reveal a young Spanish beauty with deeply tanned skin, raven-black hair and full, ruby red lips.
"I came as quickly as I could, darling,” she announced as she entered the room and snapped her fingers, causing the door to close by itself. She came to an abrupt stop, her brow arching in surprise, then grinned while taking in the scene before her. “Am I interrupting something, sweetheart? You appear to be entertaining."
Aria stared at the buxom woman in the tight fitting black pants and turtleneck and seethed. No wonder he'd shoved her away. How in the hell could she compete with that?
You don't have to compete with her.
Although Rialto's mind-voice held a touch of amusement, there was an undercurrent of annoyance simmering beneath his words.
Aria looked between the two, noticed the way the smug grin on the woman's face filled Rialto's eyes with irritation and wondered what she'd gotten herself caught in the middle of.
Well, whatever sick fantasies you have running through your mind, I won't be a part of them. I'm not into the whole threesome scene. She directed the thought at him, along with a few choice names for not telling her he was involved with someone, figuring he'd pick it up like he'd picked up her other thoughts.
"Well, I think I'd best be on my way home,” she said, struggling to keep the hurt from her voice. True, she'd barely known the man, but for some reason she felt as if her heart was breaking. It's not him, she thought, I'm just so tired of being betrayed and rejected.
"You can't leave, Aria. Someone was watching you earlier."
"Yeah, you,” she reminded him as she crossed the room, averting her eyes from the woman. So far things hadn't gotten catty and she hoped they didn't. If the woman could close a door with the snap of her fingers, Aria didn't want to think about what she could do to her. She certainly wasn't going to stick around and find out. Going up against a vampire was one thing, but a woman who could move objects without touching them? She was not that stupid.
"No, you felt my anger after I sensed you being watched,” Rialto explained. “You can't leave."
This woman isn't who you think! he added, his mind-voice beseeching her.
"Goodbye, Rialto,” she stated firmly, ignoring him as she wrapped her hand around the door knob. If the woman wasn't his lover then why couldn't he speak to her out loud?
"Aria, this is my mother."
She froze, letting his statement sink in before allowing her hand to fall away from the knob. Slowly, she turned and looked at the two of them. The woman had moved to where Rialto stood and placed her hand on his arm. Aria hadn't noticed it before, but they did have the same dark ebony hair, the same full lips, and the same shaped eyes. But she looked younger than him, and not just because she would barely come up to his chest in bare feet.
"You're both vampires?"
Rialto nodded as his mother looked between them, her eyes full of questions and glowing, as if she saw something amazing.
"How can that be?"
"It just is,” Rialto snapped as he grabbed his clothes from the bed and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
"Oh, my, I believe I gave the wrong impression when I entered,” Rialto's mother finally said, a subtle pink coloring her cheeks. “My name is Seta, and I take it you're Aria?"
"Yes.” The word came out as a low mumble, humiliation finding its way into her voice. “I'm sorry, I . . .” She paused. What was she supposed to say? I met your son yesterday, but we've been having erotic dreams about each other since long before then, so please excuse my initial reaction to you, but I want nothing more than to find out if the real man can live up to his imaginary counterpart? It didn't exactly seem like the appropriate thing to say to a man's mother upon their first meeting.
Seta smiled. “You're very beautiful. No wonder my Rialto is so taken with you."
"Taken with me?” Aria couldn't help snorting. “Hardly."
"I know these things, young one,” Seta said with a knowing smile. “I'm not just a vampire but a witch as well."
"How is that possible? And how can you be Rialto's mother when you're obviously younger than him?"
Seta laughed. “My child, I am over two centuries old, and for that matter, older than my son by eighteen years."
"You gave birth to him before you were . . . changed into a vampire?"
"Yes.” A dark shadow fell over Seta's face, and she looked away briefly before producing a strained smile. “I was born a witch, as all true witches are, but I wasn't aware that I was, in fact, a witch. I saw things before they happened, but I had no control over the gift before I was changed over. If I had, I would have foreseen my destiny, and well, I probably wouldn't be living as I am now. Nor would my son."
"You wouldn't be vampires?"
"No."
"You changed him over?"
"I did what any mother would do when she saw her child dying. I saved him."
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Chapter Seven
Rialto exited the bathroom and frowned. The shock of hearing his mother, a woman who valued her privacy more than most, disclosing such personal information to a stranger faded the anger he'd felt just seconds before.
"Mother.” He greeted Seta, planting a warm kiss on her cheek. “I'm sorry I did not welcome you immediately upon your arrival. I was deeply engaged in conversation and didn't feel your presence until you had already thrown the door. You could have knocked though,” he teased.
"My apologies, sweetheart. I wanted to surprise you, and strangely enough, I didn't feel your guest's presence. Your auras are so similar I thought it was only you in the room."
For a moment Rialto wondered over her last comment, then shrugged off the strange feeling it gave him. So what if his and Aria's auras were similar? They were both mixed race outcasts who had suffered much. It stood to reason that there would be some similarity. “And I see you have become acquainted with my guest, Aria Michae
ls."
"Yes, a very beautiful young lady,” Seta responded before turning to address Aria directly. “I am sorry to hear of the loss of your mother and in such a heinous manner as well."
Aria looked truly baffled as she looked between the two. “How did you know about my mother?"
"I called upon her,” Rialto answered, speaking directly to her for the first time since dressing. Then, turning to his mother, “I'm glad you heard me. I was afraid that you might be too far away."
"Darling, we could be at opposite ends of the earth and I would still feel when you need me.” She walked gracefully to the bed and settled at the end. “I could feel the presence of evil as I neared the city, but I can't feel it anymore. It's as if whoever has done these evil things has put up a shield. I get the sense it is a male, but that's the only knowledge I have for now."
"Do you think you'll be able to find him?” Aria asked.
The look of pure, desperate hope glowing from within Aria's deep green eyes caused Rialto's chest to constrict. He couldn't allow himself to give into the desire drowning them, but he would find her mother's killer and at least give her that much peace.
"My mother and I will not rest until he is found,” he promised, knowing his mother surely felt just how badly he needed to do this and would agree.
"Rialto speaks the truth,” his mother added. “We will hunt down this monster and destroy him. If I can just lay my hands on a victim's body, I might be able to see him, or at least get a sense of who he is and why he is killing these women."
"We'll search the parks tonight and every night,” he explained to Aria. “Eventually we'll happen upon a body he has left behind. My mother has the ability to sense images and emotions from bodies. These clues could tell us who the killer is."
"I want to go with you,” Aria pleaded.
"No, that's not a good idea. You're a liability. Police will be searching the park. We can't take a chance of them seeing you. Mother and I move too fast for them to see us, and besides, I don't think you could handle what we might happen upon. You're not used to seeing the things we've seen."
Aria visibly sulked as she walked over to the bed and sat on the mattress. Rialto glanced at his mother, telling her with a look that it was time for them to go. “Stay here, Aria. Lock yourself in and rest. You could use a good night's sleep."
He looked back at her as he pulled the door shut behind him, fighting off the need to comfort her.
"So, what exactly did I intrude upon?” Seta asked several minutes later.
Rialto's mother had been silent as they'd raced toward Leakin Park, but once they were inside the large park, scouring over an area which hadn't yet been reached by the police, she'd finally asked the question he'd known was coming. “It wasn't as it appeared, Mother."
"Really, because it appeared that you were nearly naked and holding a woman in your arms."
"I had just stepped out of the shower. We were talking, nothing more. Nothing was going to happen."
"And why not?” Seta paused to plant her fists on her hips. “Don't try to fool me. The lust shared between the two of you when you look at each other is thick enough to cut with a knife. There's pain there, too. What's going on?"
"Mother, please, we have a killer to find."
"And I have a son to take care of. Your auras weren't similar, Rialto. They were identical. Standing together in that room, both of you were wrapped inside the same exact aura. Do you know what this means?"
Rialto shrugged as he continued to open his senses to the land around him, continuing his search for a body, or better, the killer, although he doubted the man was crazy enough to enter the park while it was being searched by the police, no matter how easy it was to hide in such a large area.
"She's your soul mate, Rialto."
"My soul mate?” Rialto laughed. “Have you taken to reading romance novels?"
"Don't mock me, son. I know what I'm talking about. I can see inside your mind, remember? I already know how passionate you are to protect her. I know you dream of her. When did it begin?"
Rialto cursed beneath his breath as they continued to move through the park. From the moment she'd changed him over she'd been able to read his mind like a book. “Twenty-six years ago, when she was born."
Seta's eyes widened. “That was fate telling you your mate had arrived."
"That's ridiculous, Mother."
"Then why else would you dream of a complete stranger? You're already in love with her. You're just too scared to admit it aloud."
"And I have reason to be scared,” Rialto snapped. “I still haven't forgotten what happened to the last innocent woman I loved."
"What happened to Antonia was awful, but you can't let her death stop you from loving again. Antonia wasn't who you were meant to be with. Maybe that's why she didn't take to the change."
"So it was fated that I had to kill her?"
"I'm afraid so,” Seta answered, lowering her gaze to the ground.
"Well, then, fate can go to hell!” Rialto stomped away, cursing vehemently as he tried to purge images of Antonia out of his mind.
"Rialto, I don't think you fully realize what this all means!"
"What does it mean?” Rialto stopped and glared at his mother. “Why don't you explain clearly what fate has in store for me."
"Do you recall The Blood Revelation?"
"That fairy tale about predestined mates saving the world from Satan's wrath?"
"Three sets of vampires who can reproduce, creating warriors, one of which will save the world from eternal darkness."
"Yes, what about it?"
"The dreams the two of you share are erotic, are they not? You wanted her before you ever laid eyes on her, and you've told her things about our kind that you normally wouldn't even think of telling a mortal."
"What happens in our dreams is none of your business, Mother."
"It's every vampire's business. She is your soul mate, and the two of you are destined to create a child who just may grow up to save the world from destruction. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a baby, Rialto? Haven't you ever wondered what it would feel like to be a father?"
Rialto frowned at her. “I believe your magic has driven you insane. I couldn't possibly father a child."
"You could if you were one of the prophesied three couples, and you are, Rialto. Two people who dream of each other, as you have, and share the same aura are predestined. You and Aria together make one of the three sets!"
"It's impossible."
"I could argue that it's impossible for you to read her mind when she's not one of us, but I know you can, Rialto, so don't deny it."
He shook his head adamantly and started walking again. “There must be some other explanation."
"There isn't. Although you've inherited enough magical ability from me to read the minds of mortals while you feed from them, that's the extent of your telepathic abilities. You know as well as I do that vampires can only read the minds of other vampires. She's a vampire waiting to happen, Rialto. It is your destiny to change her over and take her to your bed where you will create a child, a warrior."
He shook his head even more adamantly. “Then my destiny shall remain unfulfilled. I vowed long ago never to change over another innocent person, especially not someone I care for. I can't risk the chance of losing another woman the way I lost Antonia."
"If you don't change her over, you will lose her anyway. She'll grow old and die."
"Yes, and she'll go to the Lord as she should. Why should I do anything to prevent that?"
"To save—” Seta stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as her body stilled. Rialto could tell she was picking up on something, so he opened all his senses, pushing them to their limits, until he smelled the decay.
"This way,” Seta instructed, quickly walking north.
Rialto followed her until they reached the body. They found it lying halfway under a patch of vines, the body of a brunette Caucasian woman, complete with two small r
otting holes in the neck. What was left of her body was a shriveled husk. There was no doubt she'd been drained dry. Rialto used his hypersensitive hearing to locate the positions of the police. They were still far enough away to allow them time to examine the body.
Seta kneeled beside the corpse and placed her hands over the jeans clad legs, careful not to move the body. The police would need to find it just as it had been left. Rialto watched as, with her eyes closed, Seta flinched. Her body went stiff with the onslaught of images and emotions that were being pulled from what was left of the woman's aura. From the degree of decay Rialto could see and smell, he knew she wouldn't get much. Whoever the woman was, she had been dead too long.
A moment later, Seta broke contact with the body, quickly backing away and wiping her hands on her pants as if to get rid of residue left by the woman's aura.
"What did you see?"
Seta shook her head. “The woman wasn't scared, not at first. She thought he was a nice young man, well-educated and mannerly. I saw a needle. Something was in it, something clear. I saw blood, lots of blood. And I saw Eron."
"Eron? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive it was him."
"Eron couldn't be the killer."
"Of course not!” Seta looked back down at the body, her brow furrowed. “I couldn't see the killer. I can't get anything off of this body that will lead me to him, and I think he has me partially blocked."
"The body is too old. Maybe if we find one that hasn't been dead as long."
"Maybe,” she said but he could see the doubt in her eyes. “Do you smell what I smell?"
Rialto kneeled next to the body and sniffed. What he discovered caused his blood to chill. Mixed in with the scent of rot and decay was an unmistakable odor. It wasn't as strong as it should be, as if it were diluted with some other substance, but it was there. “The scent of a vampire, but not quite vampire."
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