Ageless

by Cege Smith

  Margo put her hands on her hips and glared at Violet in the mirror. “Look. I had nothing to do with that and neither did Jeremiah. That’s not who we are or what we do. Which Tesla, Mike, and the others would have been able to discover, despite their stupidity, if Jonah’s priority last night hadn’t been saving your skin. But if you want to keep believing something different, fine. Have it your way.” Margo spun on her heel and left the bathroom.

  Violet was shocked. Margo blamed what happened to her friends on Violet! The idea was sobering. Violet slowly got up and tiptoed into the bedroom. The red dress was on the bed with a pair of matching ruby red heels and a sheer wrap that looked like it was made from spun silver. Margo was nowhere to be found. Violet felt a moment of panic. Then she gasped as Margo appeared by her side.

  “Here.” Margo thrust a set of ruby earrings into her hands. “I’m loaning these to you for the evening. I have to get ready too. Get dressed and I’ll be back to do your make-up. Jeremiah will be knocking on that door at eight o’clock sharp. You don’t want to be late.”

  Violet started to say something but Margo was already sailing out the door.

  Less than an hour later, she stared at the woman looking back at her in the mirror. The image of herself didn’t even look real. Violet smoothed away imaginary wrinkles on her hips and tried to tear her eyes away from her image, but couldn’t. Her honey-blond hair was half-up and half down. It seemed like hundreds of tiny braids corralled her heavy locks into a neat waterfall of curls that cascaded down her bare back. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide, accentuated by the subtle flairs of color that Margo had added that made her eyes seem even bigger. Her lips looked plump and full with a just a tinge of red shot through them.

  The reason for her disbelief was mostly the dress. The halter strap slipped behind her neck and the bodice was fitted and exposed a healthy amount of cleavage which Margo had insisted on dusting with glittering powder. The dress skimmed her hips and then the A-line skirt fell so that it just brushed the tops of her shoes. The heels added three inches to her five foot five frame and although she still just came up to Margo’s shoulder, she felt gigantic. The final effect was the shawl that Margo wrapped carefully around her shoulders. It was like it wasn’t even there, but the shimmering effect made it almost appear as if Violet was floating.

  Margo was fussing with the back of her hair when Violet heard a heavy rap on the door. Margo looked at the clock on the nightstand and shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “He’s early.”

  Violet’s breath caught in her throat and she caught Margo’s hand as her friend slid past her to go open the door. “Margo?”

  “It’ll be fine, Vi,” Margo said. “Just follow Jeremiah’s lead and it’ll all be fine. Jonah and I will be close by if you need us.” She patted Violet’s arm and then quickly went to the door, which opened just before she reached it.

  “What’s the holdup?” Jeremiah said coolly as he stepped into the room. He was dressed in a black tuxedo that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His hair was swept off to the side and Violet felt her heart beat a little faster as she took him in. He was magnificent.

  “We were just finishing up,” Margo said with a bow of her head. Violet still couldn’t believe that her friend deferred to anyone. It wasn’t Margo’s style.

  His eyes found hers across the room, and Jeremiah stopped. Violet felt warm under his gaze as she watched his eyes slide over her. A slow smile appeared across his face, and she could tell that he was pleased. He didn’t move, but held out his hand. “Shall we, Violet?”

  She wanted to run into the bathroom and shut the door. She was afraid of this man and the storm of emotions that she felt inside. But now wasn’t the time to get on anyone’s bad side. Violet carefully crossed the room and lifted her hand to settle into his. He drew her closer and brushed his mouth against her hand, just like he had done earlier. His eyes never left hers. Then he slid her hand under his arm. Violet looked for Margo, but her friend had disappeared. She and Jeremiah were alone. As she stared up into his violet eyes, she knew that she was in trouble.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  As Jeremiah guided her out of the room, she found herself in a massive hallway that was dark with mahogany. Hardwood floors that matched the walls were covered with plush rugs and her heels sunk into them, making her feel like she was walking in sand. They passed several doors before arriving on the landing of a giant staircase. Violet stared at a massive chandelier that seemed to take up the entire dome ceiling in front of her. She couldn’t see over the railing, but she could hear the murmur of voices coming from below.

  Violet started to feel the flutter of panic. Her breath was coming more rapidly and she thought that her heart might beat out of her chest.

  “Are you frightened?” Jeremiah’s voice brought her out of her reverie. She was surprised to see concern in his eyes.

  “I’m about to meet a whole roomful of vampires. What’s there to be scared about?” Violet said. Her voice sounded breathless and she hated that she was showing any weakness.

  “You are very brave,” Jeremiah said. “Most mortal women would probably be weeping or have fainted by now. Margo has told me a lot about you, although her description of your beauty was definitely understated, as I found out on my own when we met in the library.”

  The compliment was unexpected. “Why are you being nice to me?” The words fell out of her mouth and she realized, watching him frown, that that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to say.

  “Why would you believe that I would be anything but nice to you?” Jeremiah said.

  Now that it was out there, Violet couldn’t stop herself. “I still don’t know what happened to the others at Mike’s house, but regardless, you’ve basically kidnapped me. Margo said you had a scary temper and everyone bows down to you like you’re a god or something. I don’t think it’s unreasonable that I’d question your intentions.”

  A wry grin twisted Jeremiah’s lips. “I won’t hold it against you that outside of the fact that I’ve made you my guest for a short time, you are woefully misinformed. I’m actually quite charming.”

  The man’s confidence was astonishing. Violet set her jaw in a hard frown. “I doubt that.”

  Jeremiah leaned in closer to her and Violet felt herself go perfectly still. His smell was heady; a light muskiness with just a hint of wood. “I look forward to changing your mind,” he said in a low voice right next to her ear that sent shivers down her spine. Part of her wanted to pull away, but there was definitely part of her that was reacting to his closeness. Tingles of pleasure radiated from the side of her face as she felt his breath caress her ear and then move across her cheek until they were face to face just inches apart. She gulped and he chuckled.

  Then he pulled back and she felt a small bit of disappointment. As his eyes glittered down at her body again, she knew that this man was dangerous for her in too many ways to count. She took a breath and then turned her head to break his stare.

  “I’m ready to get this over with. The sooner you get whatever it is you think you need from me, the sooner I can go home,” she said flatly.

  She felt his fingers on her chin, and he pulled her eyes back to his. His look had gone from smoldering to serious in an instant. “You will stay by my side the entire evening. You will not offer up any information about where you came from or your background. Only speak when spoken to.” His tone was commanding.

  “Geez, okay,” she said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. “I know I’m not the greatest conversationalist, but I’m not a dummy either. I’ve got a 4.0 GPA, ya know. I’m sure Margo mentioned that.”

  His eyebrows shot up and his hand dropped away. She had no idea what she had said to get the reaction, but it made her feel a bit gleeful to feel like such a rebel. She wasn’t a member of his coven. She didn’t need to bow to his every whim like it seemed like everyone else was expected to.

  “As always, my brother the charmer,�
� she heard a familiar voice say. They both turned and found Jonah standing there. In his tuxedo, he looked as good as his brother, and he smiled unabashedly at Violet.

  “Jonah,” Jeremiah said stiffly. “I would have thought you’d already be downstairs entertaining our guests.”

  “Nope, I thought I’d swing by and see how Violet was doing. C’mon, Violet. There’s a bunch of really old, boring people downstairs that I am sure you can’t wait to meet,” Jonah said, taking her arm and twirling her around.

  Violet laughed despite herself. There was something lighthearted and carefree about Jonah, and she was descending the stairs with him almost before she realized what she was doing.

  “Jonah.” From behind them, Jeremiah’s voice held a strong note of warning.

  “Lighten up, Jeremiah. It’s a party,” Jonah said, winking at her. He didn’t look back at his brother.

  The staircase spiraled downwards and as they reached another landing Violet realized that they had been three stories up. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” she whispered to him. “Margo said that Jeremiah was my escort tonight, and I don’t want him mad at me. That just seems like a bad thing.”

  “Jeremiah is a little too used to getting his way,” Jonah whispered back. “Besides, which one of us do you think is going to be more fun?”

  Violet couldn’t help but match his grin. He was as cocky as his brother, she decided, but based on her observations so far, she had to agree that on the funness scale, Jonah appeared to be the clear winner.

  As they continued down the stairs and the voices got louder, she started to feel her heart race again. Then they were on the final set of stairs and she could see the swarm of people standing in a large, grand foyer. The chandelier that had entranced her moments before was high above her head. Although she still had no idea where she was, Violet could feel the immense size of the house they were in, and based on the fixtures and furnishings she sensed it was very old. She saw that everyone was decked out in gowns and tuxedos, so at least her concern over her dress decreased. Her chest tightened as she struggled to breathe, and then she felt a squeeze on her arm.

  She caught Jonah watching her. “I won’t let you go, Violet. Trust me.” His playful voice had gone smooth and soothing and she nodded just as the first couple of heads turned in their direction. Seconds later, everyone in the foyer had turned and was staring at them and all conversation stopped. Jonah continued to squeeze her arm, and she repeated his words over and over in her head.

  As they reached the last step of the staircase, she felt a slight tug as Jonah stopped. He smiled down at her again and then looked up into the room with a commanding glance. “Welcome, everyone, to Ganterwood Hall. My brother and I are delighted that you could join us this evening so that we can introduce you to a very special person. May I present, Ms. Violet Swanson Ward.”

  Immediately the room filled with gasps and she felt a jolt of fear again. She didn’t understand the addition of the name “Ward” to her surname. Margo had clearly left some details out.

  She felt Jeremiah’s presence even before he settled next to her on her other side. He placed a hand on the end of the banister and smiled out into the crowd. Although Jonah had spoken first, it was obvious that everyone was waiting with bated breath to hear what Jeremiah had to say.

  “It is a momentous occasion that brings us all together tonight, and I know that all of you are excited about what the future holds, as am I. But first, celebration and the enjoyment of each other’s company. It has been too long since we have all been together. I’d like to invite everyone to move into the ballroom for music and cocktails. I’m sure you are all eager to meet Violet, and I can assure you she is equally eager to meet all of you. I hope you all enjoy your evening,” Jeremiah said. His voice boomed across the room, and as he finished everyone clapped for him. He bowed his head and then gestured towards an opening at the back of the hall.

  Violet smiled weakly as several people passed her. When they smiled at her, their fangs were openly present, and Violet felt a little sick. After the last one had passed her, Violet darted another look at Jeremiah. “I’m eager to meet them?” she hissed to him under her breath.

  “Smile pretty, Violet,” he said. Heads were still swiveled in their direction as everyone watched the three of them with open curiosity. Violet had no idea what was being communicated beneath the surface of the brothers’ comments, but she sensed that she was missing something.

  “Well, don’t you all know how to make an entrance.” Margo appeared at the bottom of the staircase on Jonah’s other side. Violet was blown away at how beautiful her friend looked. She wondered when Margo had had the time to get so gussied up when she had spent so much time helping Violet get ready. Margo looked pointedly at Jonah. “Stirring up trouble again?” she said sweetly.

  “Always,” Jeremiah answered with a condescending tone and a warning look at his brother before Jonah could respond. “Perhaps you can corral your escort, Margo.”

  Violet suddenly realized the awkwardness of the situation she was in and that Jonah had created.

  “I promised the fair Violet that I would not let her go this evening, and I don’t intend to,” Jonah said, putting his hand to her back and guiding her down the last steps.

  Violet stole a glance over her shoulder and she saw that Jeremiah’s jaw was clenched tight and his eyes were shooting daggers at Jonah’s back. Jeremiah slipped down the stairs to Margo’s side and started talking to her in a low voice. Margo immediately flushed and shook her head. The dismay on her friend’s face was obvious, and Violet wondered if it was more than just Jeremiah’s displeasure.

  The squeeze on her arm brought her back to the man next to her, who was smiling at her with a knowing grin. “Like I said, it’s good for my big brother to not always get what he wants,” he said conspiratorially.

  “He certainly seems like the type who usually does though,” Violet said. The last thing she wanted to be was a toy to be fought over. Although the experience was completely new to her, it was completely distracting and overwhelming. “When he got all weird and serious upstairs, he made it sound like this event could be dangerous for me.”

  They crossed the foyer and stood right outside the wide doors that led into a brightly lit room. Violet could hear the melodies of string instrument floating to her ears and she had the strange sense that she had stepped back in time. Jonah put a light hand around her waist and drew her over to the side. His eyes were serious now.

  “Well, he figured out that you appear to be immune to compulsion, which actually is a really good thing when you are in a room full of vampires,” he said.

  “Compulsion?” Violet echoed.

  Jonah continued as if he didn’t hear her. “There are a few things that Jeremiah and I do agree on. He wasn’t wrong that the people gathered here tonight, although our allies, could turn on us at any moment if they sensed weakness within the house of Montrose. There are several covens that have openly broken away from us, and it is only a matter of time before there could be a full-out civil war. That’s why having you here in open support of our coven is so important.” There was clear pain in his voice as he said this, and Violet wondered again how she had gotten mixed up in all of it.

  “I still don’t understand why I matter in all of this,” she said in an equally low tone. “Margo said I’m some kind of map. So does everybody know about this? Is that why my support would be so important?”

  Jonah nodded. “If Jeremiah can lift the curse of the bloodlust, then he thinks that he will be able to reunite all of the covens once again in peace. Unfortunately, the woman who has assumed his same position for the covens who oppose us would love nothing more than to beat him to it. It would legitimize her claim that the Montrose coven is no longer fit to lead.”

  “This sounds...epic,” Violet said lamely.

  A flash of amusement crossed Jonah’s face. “Indeed. That’s why you are so critical, Violet. You are going to lead us to
the fountain. You are the key to bringing peace.” The fervor of his voice was mesmerizing, and he lifted his hand to gently stroke her cheek. She felt like he was looking at her as though she was the most delicate and precious thing in the world, and she couldn’t look away.

  A throat cleared behind them, and Violet tore her eyes away from Jonah’s. She saw that Jeremiah had entered the foyer with Margo on his arm. Margo’s eyes flashed a warning that Violet recognized immediately. The scowl on Jeremiah’s face said he was not pleased with what he had just observed. But Violet found that she didn’t care. Jonah wasn’t trying to scare her or be mysterious about his intentions. He was telling her exactly what she asked, and that made her trust him more than the brooding Jeremiah.

  She slipped her arm back into Jonah’s. “Time to face the music?” she asked.

  Jonah smiled at her and together they stepped into the ballroom.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The room took Violet’s breath away. Just as she had imagined, there were couples moving to the music in the middle of the room, but the songs were from another time, and the dancing was just like what she saw in old movies. Others stood on the fringes of the dance floor, laughing and watching the dancers. Couples moved on and off the dance floor frequently. There had to be at least a hundred people in the room. This was the farthest thing from the Bayersfield high school prom that she could think of, but that was the only dance experience that she had to compare it to. She had gone to the prom alone, though, and only stayed fifteen minutes. She felt her chin rise as she thought how she and Jonah must appear to all of them.

  She saw waitstaff skimming in and out of the gathered groups with silver trays that had tall crystal flutes on them. It was only then that the red liquid inside registered in her mind, and she realized that although this looked like the setting for an eighteenth-century ball, there was the undercurrent of something far darker. She couldn’t forget where she was, not even for a moment.