Ageless

by Cege Smith

  “Would you like to dance?” Jonah asked, bending close to her ear.

  Violet shook her head. She was feeling a bit faint and her eyes focused like lasers on all the glasses in people’s hands that they were sipping so delicately. She felt a bit nauseous. Jonah’s hand was at her back again and he led her to the bar that took up the back half of the room. He pulled out a stool for her and she gratefully slid into it.

  The bartender was there seconds later. “What can I get for you, Mr. Montrose?” Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes were blank. It creeped Violet out.

  “I’ll have the usual, Bobby. Bring champagne for the lady,” Jonah said.

  “Coming right up, sir,” Bobby said as he moved away.

  It sounded strange to hear the bartender address Jonah so formally when Jonah looked like he was just a couple of years older than her. But of course he wasn’t. Given what Margo said, Jonah had to be a thousand years old.

  His hand crossed to her knee and her eyes were drawn to his. “What is it, Violet?”

  “I was just thinking how much older than me you are,” she said truthfully.

  Jonah shrugged. “Time means little when you are immortal. But I can understand how that would seem confusing and strange to you.”

  Bobby set two glasses down in front of them. Jonah’s was a highball with ice cubes and a brown liquid in it. Jonah gestured for Violet to take her glass. “Cheers to new friends,” he said.

  She didn’t know how he did it, but Jonah seemed to have a knack for saying exactly the right thing and making her feel more relaxed. She smiled and they clinked glasses. “You know I’m not twenty-one,” she said, taking a small sip from the crystal flute. The champagne was cool on her tongue and the tangy fruitiness perked her up.

  “I promise not to tell,” he said with a wink. He caught her looking at his glass as he took a long swallow. “Not what you expected?”

  Violet looked out at the crowd. She could see that there were many who were watching them openly, and most of the others were trying to not be obvious about it. But Jonah and Violet were the center of attention. She nodded as a server flew past them with a tray full of the glasses with the red liquid.

  “I guess I just figured you’d be having what it appears everyone else is having,” she said.

  “I understand why you’d think that,” Jonah said with a sigh. “It’s frustrating how much is misunderstood about my kind. Honestly, I love a good Scotch.”

  Violet sipped from her glass again. The warmth of the alcohol was starting to warm her limbs. She was a complete lightweight, but she figured it would help get her through the next few hours.

  “That’s what Margo said too.” Violet paused. “If I’m misunderstanding things, though, it’s because of what I saw at Mike’s house; including your face.”

  Jonah closed his eyes and groaned. “I admit that it’s pretty hard to resist the siren call of blood, especially when it’s right there,” he said. “While I’ve passed the point where the bloodlust controls me, that’s not the case for many of the newer vampires. What you saw was a complete waste of good blood. Those kids were playing a dangerous game, and unfortunately for them, the vampires they invited over weren’t as gracious as most of those in our coven.”

  “It seems there’s a lot that I have yet to learn,” Violet said, taking another sip of champagne.

  “Margo said you were a quick study, so I’m not worried,” Jonah said, smiling.

  Just like earlier, Violet felt Jeremiah right before he appeared at her side. She stiffened as he settled his hand on the bar behind her. His arm was close enough that it was touching her bare back, and she hated to admit it, but it sent a small thrill through her.

  “Pamela and Gregory have asked to meet Violet,” Jeremiah said to Jonah. “After that mess last night, we need to make amends. They aren’t happy with you. I will need to borrow her for a few moments.”

  “Sure, c’mon, Violet,” Jonah said, starting to stand. As Jeremiah started to growl, Margo appeared out of the crowd and stepped smoothly between them. She pushed Jonah back into his seat.

  “It wouldn’t do for you to make a scene,” Violet heard Margo whisper into Jonah’s ear. “You need to back off.”

  Now Jonah was the one scowling. Violet was surprised that it appeared that Margo was siding with Jeremiah when she had expressed such open dislike of him.

  More eyes were watching them now, and Violet knew that this was exactly the type of weakness that Jonah was talking about, and if he was to be believed, then the Montrose brothers could ill afford to be showing it, especially over her. “It’s fine, Jonah,” she said standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

  Jeremiah had a smug look on his face as he turned her to delve deeper into the room. He brought his head low to hers as he led her deftly through the crowd, nodding to people along the way. “You’ll have to forgive my brother. He is a bit impetuous and doesn’t always think before acting.”

  “I don’t think Jonah was the only one acting without thinking. I’m doing this only because I don’t want to cause any trouble between the two of you. Plus, if you guys start duking it out over me, I think you make me way more attractive than I want to be to other people around here,” she said.

  Jeremiah’s eyebrows shot up and he looked surprised. “Very perceptive, Violet,” he said finally.

  They were on the other side of the dance floor now, and as Violet looked back at the bar, she could see that Jonah was still watching her. Margo was trying to get his attention, but his eyes were focused on Violet. She wondered again if Margo still had feelings for Jonah that she wasn’t fessing up to.

  “Who am I meeting again and why?” she asked. She tried to remember the names that he said just moments before but they escaped her. She had a feeling the lightheadedness was a byproduct of the champagne, or it could be the man beside her whose hand had moved possessively around her waist.

  Suddenly, the crowd parted and Violet found herself standing in front of a stunningly gorgeous woman. Although the woman’s face didn’t look a day over twenty, Violet could tell by her stance and the wickedly sharp look in her eyes that the woman was far older. Her dress was a pale peach that set off a stunning contrast to the cascades of dark red hair that floated around her shoulders. The dress was fitted to her every curve and Violet was instantly envious. The man at the woman’s side barely came up to the bottom of her chin. He looked liked he was in his forties, and although handsome he looked out of place standing next to the woman.

  “Pamela, Gregory, I’d like to introduce you to Violet,” Jeremiah said smoothly.

  Violet felt herself flush as Pamela looked her up and down and then sniffed as if she didn’t know why she should be bothered. Gregory simply nodded in her direction.

  “I suppose I should be flattered to be the first to meet the infamous Ward descendant, although after your brother’s antics last night I guess you owe me, don’t you, Jeremiah?” Pamela said in a husky Southern drawl.

  Violet tried to process the woman’s words. What had Jonah done?

  “That was nothing but a misunderstanding, as I’m sure you are fully aware, Pamela. Didn’t Jonah let your coven members take those mortals? The Montrose Coven is at full strength, and we are happy to help recruit for our allies. It all ended well,” Jeremiah replied smoothly.

  Pamela shrugged and took a long sip from her glass. Then she looked down at Violet again. “After all this fuss, I guess I expected someone a little bit...more. Especially to have obviously gotten your attention, Jeremiah.”

  Violet realized that not only was Pamela making a rather rude statement about her, but she was openly flirting with Jeremiah. Violet opened her mouth to retort but felt a warning squeeze on the top of her hip that caused a rush of warmth to run up her spine. Her mouth instantly closed.

  “We were delighted to make Violet’s acquaintance quite recently,” Jeremiah said. “I know you are going to be as enthusiastic as I am when you see what she’s brought
to the Montrose coven.”

  Pamela sniffed again. “I guess we’ll just wait and see.” She snagged another flute off of one of the trays passing by and deposited her empty one on it. As her eyes settled on Violet again, Violet had the uncomfortable feeling that she was being studied for a completely different reason. “She’s still mortal.”

  “Of course,” Jeremiah said. “You may recall that the Wards coexisted with my coven for hundreds of years peaceably. There’s no reason to turn her, as her gifts are revealed more strongly in her mortal form.”

  Jeremiah’s words spun around in her head. She had no desire to be turned into a vampire, and she made a note to clarify that point as soon as she had a minute alone again with Margo.

  She realized that Gregory had added nothing to the conversation so far and was simply watching her with a longing expression. He stepped closer to her and she felt herself shrink back into Jeremiah’s side.

  “You smell...delicious,” Gregory said, running his tongue across his lips. He smiled and she saw his fangs were out.

  Violet found herself pulled back slightly behind Jeremiah’s tall form.

  “You will find plenty of refreshment being served, Gregory. And I’d be happy to provide something fresher for you later if you are still so inclined.” Jeremiah’s displeasure was clear.

  A sly grin slid across Gregory’s face as he stepped back. “I didn’t mean to offend, of course.”

  “Of course,” Jeremiah said grimly. “Violet has more guests to meet, so we’ll take our leave. Thank you both for coming, and enjoy the party.”

  Violet was relieved that the interview was over, but Jeremiah surprised her when instead of leading her back to the bar, he pulled her to a door at the back of the room. Moments later, she found herself standing on a wide veranda under a steamy summer moon. Although a few people strolled about, the area was mostly empty. She couldn’t see anything out in the darkness but the shadows of trees. It felt isolated but the fresh air was intoxicating.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “My estate in North Carolina at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Jeremiah replied as he guided her to the stone railing. “I don’t know about you, but it was feeling a bit stuffy in there. I thought you might appreciate some air.”

  “North Carolina?” Violet said with a start. Bayersfield was in Pennsylvania.

  “If you help me, Violet, I will ensure that you are safe and sound back in your old life in no time,” Jeremiah said quietly.

  His voice was sincere, but Violet was still trying to process the fact that she was hundreds of miles from home. That made the idea of escaping that much more difficult. But strangely she felt in tune with the quiet solitude and the man who was studying her reaction. He kept behaving differently than she would have expected.

  “I don’t know what you need me to do, but as long as you promise that you aren’t going to hurt me, I’ll try to help you,” she said finally. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was intrigued by the idea that she might actually see the Fountain of Youth. To be able to know that her obsession was actually real was something that she wouldn’t turn down in a million years.

  “I couldn’t harm you, Violet,” he said. He reached out and softly touched her arm.

  She felt her heart skip a beat. He was making her head spin, and she needed to keep her thoughts clear. “Why did Jonah introduce me saying that my last name is Ward?” There were still too many things she didn’t know, and although pieces were starting to fall into place, she still couldn’t see the bigger picture.

  “Margo told you the story of my family and the battle with the warlock?” Jeremiah asked. He continued when he saw Violet nod. “The warlock’s name was Bruckhart Ward.”

  Violet stiffened. “You think that he was one of my ancestors?”

  “I know he was one of your ancestors,” Jeremiah said.

  “How?”

  “You heard me remind Pamela and Gregory that the Ward and Montrose families lived peaceably side by side for hundreds of years. Well, that all ended when I did something that Bruckhart Ward could never forgive.”

  Violet trembled. “Which was?”

  Jeremiah stepped closer to her. “Are you cold?”

  It wasn’t a chill in the air that was making her skin tingle. She shook her head. Then he seemed to understand and he smiled down at her. It was a dazzling smile and it warmed her even more.

  “I fell in love with Bruckhart’s daughter.”

  The idea that Jeremiah had loved anyone else felt like a blow, even if it was a thousand years ago. “Well, if everyone was so buddy buddy, I don’t understand why that would be a big deal,” Violet said. She gulped as it seemed like Jeremiah was inching closer.

  He chuckled but then his face turned solemn. “Bruckhart did not wish for his daughter to be condemned to live a life like mine. So when we tried to run away so that I could take her to another witch who was going to make her immortal, Bruckhart was so angry that he cursed all of my kind. He swore that he would hunt all of us down and kill us.”

  “Harsh,” Violet said. She blinked. “So what happened to her?”

  “She died,” Jeremiah said quickly. “Not long after Bruckhart’s curse took full effect on me. Don’t forget, she was mortal.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Violet said.

  Jeremiah caught a wisp of her hair that had gotten free and tucked it back behind her ear. “It was a long time ago and I’ve moved on. I loved Rose deeply once and I will always honor her memory. But that was another time and another place. You are what matters to me now, Violet. But you wanted to know how I know that you are a Ward descendant?”

  Violet nodded again.

  “You look just like her.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Every time Violet thought she couldn’t be more surprised, she learned some new information that knocked her flat again. She knew that it couldn’t be a good thing to be a living, breathing reminder of a vampire’s long dead girlfriend.

  “So, what? You think I’m Rose reincarnated or something?” she asked.

  “You may look like her, but you are so much more than Rose was,” Jeremiah said. “You are intelligent, inquisitive, and skeptical. You care deeply about the people that matter to you. And you are willing to help those in need, even if it means putting yourself at risk; all admirable qualities. I’m afraid Rose would have been one of those fainting girls I mentioned earlier,” he said with a wry smile.

  “Then why did you love her?” Violet didn’t want to care about his answer, but she did.

  “I was young and she was beautiful. She was charming and full of life, but what I didn’t find out until later was that she lived in fear of her father and that meant that she would do or say anything to get away from him,” Jeremiah said. “I didn’t find out until after she was gone that my affections weren’t the only ones she was courting.”

  Violet felt awful for him. There was still a residue of pain in his voice, and she found her hand reaching out to touch his arm.

  He looked down at her hand and then his eyes rose to hers. She felt her breath coming in shallow gulps. When his head dipped toward hers, she knew that she should stop whatever was about to happen, but she didn’t want to.

  Then the door to the ballroom opened up and she heard Jonah’s voice. “Jeremiah, you’d better get in here.” Violet backed away from Jeremiah, feeling like a cold splash had just hit her skin. She looked away from him but found that couldn’t meet Jonah’s eyes either.

  “What is it?” Jeremiah growled.

  “We’ve got some gatecrashers.” Jonah’s voice was tense.

  “Who?” Jeremiah’s voice boomed across the patio.

  “Elysa,” was the clipped reply.

  “Dammit,” Jeremiah said. He moved quickly to the doorway. “Don’t let her out of your sight,” he said, motioning at Violet. Then he slipped through the door and into the crowd of people.

  Jonah stepped out on the patio. “You all right ou
t here? You disappeared on me.”

  Violet shook her head. She felt hot tears in the corner of her eyes. It was all too much to take in.

  Jonah crossed to her quickly and leaned against the railing next to her. “He’s a bit of a handful. I’m sorry.”

  Violet realized that he was talking about Jeremiah, and that he thought her reaction was because of him. “Oh, no. I’m just feeling like a fish out of water. Vampires, warlocks, immortality. This is all still new to me.”

  “He didn’t push himself on you, did he?” There was a current of anger just beneath Jonah’s words. He was staring out at the yard, but Violet could see his jaw working in the moonlight.

  “No, of course not,” she said.

  Jonah’s shoulders drooped slightly, and she wondered if he had been hoping that she would say that Jeremiah had been too forward. She felt like a cat toy on a string, and regardless of the attention that both brothers were directing toward her she didn’t want to be the reason for tension between them.

  “Who’s Elysa?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Jeremiah’s ex,” Jonah said with a grimace.

  “Geez, how many exes does that guy have?” Violet said, feeling completely out of sorts.

  Jeremiah looked at her strangely. “Elysa was way more into Jeremiah than he was into her, so when he broke things off with her, you could say she didn’t take kindly to it. Lately, though, it’s more the fact that she’s been trying to oust him and the whole Montrose coven from power that’s really driven the wedge between them,” Jonah said with a sigh. “You know that saying about hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Pretty sure it was about Elysa.”

  “Why do you think she’s here?” Violet asked. Then she realized she may already know the answer.

  “Let’s get you back inside where it’s warmer,” Jonah said, avoiding the question. As they stepped back into the room, Violet became aware of how eerily quiet it was. The music had stopped, and the dance floor was empty. This time, no one noticed her and Jonah’s entrance. All eyes were on the foyer.