Midnight Temptation

by Shari Nichols

  I’ve lost her for good. His whole body tensed. “Do you know when she’ll be back? I need to talk to her.”

  “Look, Garrett, I’m trying not to get in the way and respect your wishes. Gillian told me you’re not too hopeful about a cure for vampirism, but you should know that we’ve completed the final elements of the potion with the help of Brook’s magick, and the remaining water from Sybil’s Cave. I have every reason to believe it will work.”

  “We’re back to that, are we?” Getting his hopes up only to have them crushed would lead to more anguish.

  “You have every reason to be skeptical. This potion is untested and comes with serious risks, but it’s real, Garrett.”

  He rubbed his chin, contemplating the possibilities. “What sort of risks?” If he didn’t at least consider it, he’d never know for sure if he could be human and have a life, a future with Gillian. Annette was right. He’d live to regret it for the rest of his days.

  Saje exhaled, refusing to look him in the eye. “There’s a good chance you could age back to when you were turned.”

  “In other words, turn into a pile of ash?”

  She nodded. “I’m afraid so, but we’d know right away. If you do decide to give it a go you should understand one thing, it won’t happen overnight, but eventually, you will turn human again.”

  Garrett couldn’t go on without Gillian, living day and night wondering, ‘what if.’ He refused to live a half-life. He needed to take a chance, no matter what. “Tell me what I need to do.”

  By the time Gillian walked through the doors of the coven, it was noon on Sunday morning. She wheeled her suitcase into the hall and glanced around. The place appeared to be empty.

  “Anybody home?” she called.

  When no one responded, she took off her leather jacket and hung it on a hook by the door. Bright morning sunlight poured in from the bay window, bathing the hall in a soft, warm glow. She lifted her arms in the air and stretched her muscles, still tight from sitting on a plane for all those hours. She couldn’t wait to get outside in the fresh air and go for a run.

  She walked down the hall, past the kitchen. When she got to the ritual room, she found Brooke, Saje, and Ellen practicing spells and drinking coffee. A Grimoire sat open on a book stand. Magick pure and bright sizzled in the air, along with sparks of fire that shot from Ellen’s fingertips, which she used to light the candles on the fireplace mantle.

  Not used to seeing all the women practicing magick together, a flutter of excitement sparked in Gillian’s belly. “What going on?”

  Ellen turned to her and waved her hand around the room. “Have a look for yourself.”

  The wall of unfinished sheetrock had been primed and painted a soft taupe to match the rest of the room. All of the moldings and baseboards had been replaced and also painted.

  “Wow, the room looks amazing. Who did all this?” Gillian asked with a sinking suspicion she already knew the answer to her question.

  “Garrett. Who else? He did a great job and cleaned up after himself. By the way, he looks incredibly hot in coveralls, just saying.” Saje walked up and pulled her into a quick hug. “He's so lost without you, Gillian. You should call him and put him out of his misery.”

  Gillian tugged free and tried not to think too much into the gesture. “Throwing some paint on the wall doesn’t change anything.” She hadn’t bothered to return the sudden barrage of calls and texts from him. What was the point?

  “He's a keeper for sure,” Brooke agreed. “And not just because of the coveralls, although that doesn’t hurt.” Her cousin’s laughter sounded more and more like her old self. Color warmed her cheeks, and her posture wasn’t as stiff and withdrawn as it had been a few days back.

  One step at a time, Gillian supposed. Being here with the girls would make all the difference for Brooke.

  “He found someone to sublet my apartment.”

  “What? How? I’ve been gone for a few days,” Gillian said, surprised by this new revelation.

  “He said his partner needed a place.” Brooke sipped her coffee. “It’s all set. Natalya stopped by to pick up the keys and hung out for a while with everyone. She’s awesome. She’s moving into my place as we speak.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Gillian shook her head, still in shock by the sudden news.

  “I want to hear all about your interview, but you need to reach out to Garrett first. He’s been calling nonstop to see if you’re back. He wanted to pick you up from the airport, but I figured you needed some space and you’d want to do this on your terms.” Saje lifted her fingers. “Three, two one.” The doorbell chimed. “Go get him, tiger.”

  “Crap, nothing like an advanced warning.” Gillian glanced down at her sweats and oversized sweatshirt. She imagined looking her best the next time she ran into him. Of course, she looked like a mess.

  Pushing her shoulders back, she walked to the door and swung it open. Her whole body swayed when she came face to face with Garrett after six long, agonizing days. She missed him so much she ached. His face looked drawn, and he smelled different. Dark smears appeared under his light blue eyes, but to her, he looked just as handsome as ever. Her heart gave a little flutter. He wore a navy flannel shirt and jeans. She’d never seen him dressed so casually and reluctantly she had to admit, the look worked for him.

  “Garrett, what are you doing here?”

  “Gillian, God, you don’t know how good it is to see you. I’ve been calling but you don’t pick up your phone. Can I come in? Or better yet, can we go somewhere and talk? There are some things I need to stay to you, starting with I’ve been such a fool.” Garrett reached up to touch her cheek, and she flinched away. Hurt flashed in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, not intending to hurt him. “But you’re giving me all these mixed signals, and I don’t know if I’m ready to do this again. I just got in a little while ago. I need to go for a run and clear my head.”

  “Let me take you to dinner tonight. There’s something important I need to tell you. Gillian, sweet, sweet, Gillian,” he murmured, and the endearment made her throat tight with tears. He leaned closer, and she caught a whiff of his clean laundry scent. Every part of her body responded to his smell, and it was all she could do not to fling herself into his arms.

  She took a step back, holding her ground. “I’m not ready to go to dinner with you, Garrett. You hurt me too deeply.”

  “I need to explain. Please, meet me at my place. Where we can have some privacy. Give me that much,” he pleaded.

  Maybe it would be good closure for both of them. “How about I stop by after my run, in say, an hour?”

  A wide smile lit up his face. “It’s a date.”

  When Gillian got to Garrett’s apartment, he stood at the door. His face lit up when he saw her, and her pathetic heart somersaulted.

  He stepped aside as she walked past him into the hallway. “Why don’t we sit down in the living room?” He gestured for her to go in front of him and rested a warm hand at the small of her back. A wave of heat and longing washed over her.

  “Please come in and make yourself comfortable.” She took a seat on the couch. He sat across from in her in a winged back chair. A myriad of emotions flashed in his eyes: relief, regret, and maybe even love. “Thanks for meeting me here. Can I offer you something to eat or drink?” Sitting here with him like this gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.

  “I’m fine. I want to thank you for doing the renovations at the coven and for getting Natalya to sublet Brooke’s place. It was kind of you.”

  “My pleasure. Anything for you.” She tried to ignore the conviction in his voice and swallowed hard.

  “What happened with your job interview?” He pinned her with his intense blue gaze. “Please tell me you’re not moving.”

  She shook her head. “As much as I loved what they were offering, I could never leave. My home is here. What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked, getting right to the point. There
was no sense dragging this out.

  “Where do I start? I’ve been foolish and stubborn.”

  “Don’t forget pigheaded,” she said, trying to break some of the tension.

  His lips twitched. “Yes, pigheaded, but it was my fear of loss that kept me away. There’s something you need to know,” Garrett continued. “Right after we met, I stumbled upon this apartment and had this compelling urge to buy it. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure why I needed such a big place, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it was to build a life with you.” He reached across the table and took her fingers in his, rubbing his thumb across her skin. “Not calling you after everything you’d been through was foolish, but people do foolish things when they’re in love.” He reached behind him and handed her a beautifully wrapped package. “This is for you.”

  “Garrett, I…Wait, what did you say?” Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest.

  “You heard me. I love you, Gillian. God so much, with all my heart and soul, and every last breath in this hundred-and-fifty-year-old body. I got freaked about not being able to give you a family.”

  “We can adapt,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time.

  “I’m sorry for being an old-fashioned ass. But if you give me another chance, I promise to make it up to you for the rest of our lives. I vow to be the man you need when things get tough. I’ll be there to dry your tears.” He reached out, caught one with his thumb, and brought it to his lips. “Sweet. I’ll protect you against anything and anyone. You’re the most loving, caring, beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

  “Garrett, I love you so much. I forgive you.” She leaned across the table and gave him a deep kiss. He pulled away and sighed then motioned to the box. “You still haven’t opened it.”

  “You didn’t need to get me a present.” She lifted the box and shook it. “Whoa, it’s heavy.” Ripping off the paper, she opened the top to find a set of worn leather books inside. The first edition copies of Pride and Prejudice. “I couldn’t. These belonged to Sadie.”

  “I want you to have them, and so would she. I remember you told me that when you moved after your parents’ divorce, the only thing that made the place feel like home were your books. I want you to feel at home with me, Gillian. Always. No matter where you are, you’re my home. Now lift the ribbon.”

  “What are you saying?” She glanced down at the book. There was a red ribbon enclosed in the front cover. When she lifted it, a lock of hair was wrapped around it. “You’re giving me your hair? Is this some kind of vampire thing?”

  He smiled, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “Take a closer look, Gillian.”

  When she did, she saw dark hair and a tinge of gray. “What’s this?”

  “It’s my hair. I took the potion while you were away. I’m not completely human yet, but the change is taking place and I’m aging, even as we speak.”

  “Oh, Garrett.” She leapt up from the couch, and he pulled her into his arms. A flood of happy tears clogged her throat.

  He leaned back. Love and passion burned in his eyes. “I want you to move in with me. I moved half of my things out of my closet to make space for you. It’s your home now, if you want it to be. I’ve never lived with a woman before, and you’re the only woman in the world I could ever dream about living with. Please, say yes,” he murmured and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Yes! But not right now. I can’t leave Brooke, not after everything she’s been through. Please understand,” Gillian said, lacing their fingers together. “We take it day by day, and in the meantime, I’m available for dates. Do you think you can live with that for the time being?”

  He kissed her again more urgently this time, delving his tongue into her mouth with deep, velvet strokes. Butterflies fluttered in her belly. He pulled away, leaving her breathless and happier than she’d ever been in her life. “I can live with that for now. We’ve got a whole lifetime together and it starts now. Remember, baby, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Midnight Craving

  Arcadia, the demon plane

  1324

  The air swirled with sand, gritty blasts that caught in Cayden’s throat and stung his eyes. He loathed the desert—loathed the sight of dead grass and tumbleweeds. Trudging through the dunes with two enormous water jugs balanced on his shoulders, he could think of much better ways to pass the time. But this was his job, his officium…he was a slave.

  This land had once been a Shangri-La, overflowing with lush vegetation and natural springs, but not anymore. Water was now a commodity around here, rationed for their new ruling class, the Coterie. If someone had told him a cadre of vampires would win the war and eventually take over his people, he would've laughed in their face.

  Fate could be one twisted bitch.

  An acrid blast of sweltering heat hit him square in the chest and made it hard to breathe. Sweat trickled down his back, soaking through to his linen kilt. A former general in the army, he’d been stripped of his uniform and his post. The navy sash around his waist remained, the only marker that delineated him as a former officer. Now cracked lips and an insatiable thirst were his only spoils of war. He’d do just about anything to have a raindrop touch his skin or witness a desert bloom.

  War eviscerated hope and any chance of a better future for his people. He tried to tamp down his fury when his nostrils flared with the tang of blood. It was everywhere, winding its way through the canyons turning their once crystal blue lakes to red.

  Cayden followed the path from the reservoir to the royal tent. Pushing through the gossamer netting, he walked into a makeshift kitchen set up behind a silkscreen. The tent buzzed with voices and the faint strum of a harp. He settled the jugs on the dirt floor and let out a groan.

  “Where have you been? You know better than to keep the queen waiting.”

  The soft, female voice made his heart bang against his chest. He turned to find Abigail, one of the slave girls behind him with a teasing smile on her face. Her golden hair wrapped around her small pink horns in long plaits and hung down her back. Blue eyes the color of the sea remained locked on his. He closed the distance between them and scooped her up in his arms. When he lifted her in the air and swung her around, she let out a squeal of pure joy.

  “What else can she do to me at this point?” he murmured and set Abigail on her feet. He’d gotten into enough tussles with the royal guard to finally figure out what he could get away with. Maybe that’s why his back looked like a road map of welts and red scars, some of the perils of living under a court filled with ruthless bloodsuckers he supposed.

  “Behave yourself. Someone will see us,” Abigail said with a laugh, craning her neck to look him in the eyes. Their relationship remained chaste, never getting the opportunity to do much more than hold hands and kiss, but that would change soon. He planned to make her his for all eternity.

  “You go out first and blend. No one will be the wiser.” He winked and tugged on one of her braids.

  “Says you, demon.” She blew him a kiss and then ducked out.

  With one last smile at her fleeting form, Cayden turned his head and poured the water into smaller bottles. He placed them on one of the adorned silver trays engraved with the ruling class coat of arms and walked through the curtain.

  He found Lilith, their new queen, lounged on her throne with other members of the undead royal court. Slave men and women fluttered all around her like a swarm of bees at a picnic. A royal crown of thorns adorned her head of long, jet black hair. She wore a sheer silver gown with glittering jewels that had once belonged to his people. Her dark eyes were flat…soulless. She was as beautiful as she was ruthless, a viper to the core, one that could strike at any moment. Nothing could stifle her hair-trigger temper. If you so much as looked at her the wrong way, you were toast. Hundreds of his former soldiers had perished at her command.

  “You may step forward, half-breed,” Lilith commanded in a bored voice.

  Half-human and half-demon, his Hy
mera status didn’t bode well in court. He tried not to drag his sandaled feet as he made his way to her throne. He set the tray on a table in offering and bowed low, averting his eyes. Conversations drifted over the music. His head jerked up when he caught the ramblings of “expanding the royal line” and “conquering new realms.” The Coterie would stop at nothing to gain power.

  Searching through the crowd, his gaze landed on Abigail. A silent promise of love and splendor passed between them. Catching the interest of the queen, Abigail quickly looked away and poured wine into her goblet.

  “Am I interrupting something, demon?” Lilith’s question forced the royal guard into stunned silence. She glanced from Abigail to him and back again.

  “No, my queen. Forgive me for my insolence.” His gaze latched onto the purple and green Coterie banner emblazoned with their symbol. “I was simply admiring the royal colors,” he lied, praying she didn’t pick up on his interest. Slaves were forbidden to be together. Their job was to serve the kingdom, period. He’d never seen the king, but he was known to be a fearsome warrior. It was rumored he’d left his queen to fight wars and conquer other thrones.

  “You’re a dreadful liar.” Her dark eyes flared with interest as they performed a slow sweep from his bare chest down his torso to his sash. He tried his best not to flinch, but her flagrant perusal made his skin crawl. “You’re filthy.” Lilith titled her crowned head to the side. “Do you ever bathe?” Snickers rang through the tent.

  “I fancy a soak and a full canteen, your highness, but it’s difficult for those who have no access to water,” Cayden quipped, not able to hold back.

  “Someone who’s not afraid to speak his mind is a rare treat around here. Permission granted. As a former officer, you’ll use my chamber to bathe.” The queen pointed to an area of shimmering curtains behind the throne.

  “Many thanks to a just and kind ruler.” Cayden bowed again, not sure why she chose to make such an allowance for a half-breed demon, but he wasn’t about to complain.