The Moon Rises (Gigi Monroe)

by Angela Horn

  “We could take Gigi to her apartment,” Anton said, stepping between Silas who was moving forward and Simon who was moving deeper into the booth. “Whatever fixed her before might fix her again. She has a ghost following her around. Maybe it’ll fix her?”

  “Ghosts don’t fix shit,” Silas said, still moving towards Simon.

  “Something fixed her before. Let’s take Gigi to her place and leave her.”

  “Not much of a plan,” Simon muttered as he stroked her cheek.

  “You don’t want her to die,” Anton said, edging Silas out of the way and inching closer to Simon. “My plan doesn’t offer much hope, but your plan offers none.”

  Gigi broke her gaze from Simon and watched Anton who was now standing next to the booth. He was so beautiful and calm, but she remembered how he always teased her. Anton’s calm tone did seem to penetrate Simon’s possessive reaction though.

  “I will take her,” Simon said.

  “No,” Silas growled. “I will take her. The rest of you can just back off.”

  Gigi was still watching Anton, loving how warm his skin looked in the oddly lit Vamp floor. He was so pretty, but he didn’t want her. Simon wanted her so much he wouldn’t even let her go when she was bleeding to death on his lap. Turning her gaze back to the Vamp, she sighed.

  “I messed up your shirt.”

  Simon smiled softly. “There are many blue shirts in the world, but there is only one you.”

  Simon lifted Gigi up and handed her to Silas who moved so fast she thought he would drop her. By the time they reached a car and even though the enthrallment had worn off, she was too tired and dizzy to pay attention. She heard Silas talking to someone, but she didn’t think it was her. Justine’s voice was no more than a whisper and Gigi felt her friend holding her head in the back of a large vehicle.

  When Gigi opened her eyes again, she was lying on her bed. Gasping for air, she felt something break inside her, something important. All she could think about was how she wanted to take one good breath.

  Then her vision faded to black.

  Soon the air returned and her vision cleared and Gigi opened her eyes to find Daniel. At first she didn’t remember him, but soon his dark blue eyes found her and the memories of his last visit returned. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his hand on her chest.

  “You will be well soon,” Daniel said quietly.

  “The Vamp tried to eat me,” she muttered, feeling disoriented.

  “I would assume this did not turn out well for him.”

  “He said I poisoned him.”

  Turning away, Daniel whispered, “Well Boo isn’t food.”

  “What?”

  Daniel stood up and smiled slightly. “You’re not doing a very good job of hiding.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Maybe the Circle isn’t the right place for you, but I don’t know where else to put you?”

  “I like it here. I have friends here and my cats.”

  Daniel glanced at the eight kittens who stared at him in awe. Turning back to Gigi, he smiled.

  “Eight cats?”

  “They’re a family.”

  Nodding, Daniel sat back on the bed and took her hand. “You should rest.”

  “Don’t leave.”

  “I have to go. Your friends are keeping an eye on the apartment. They won’t be able to see me, but it’s still best if I leave. My presence could draw more attention to you and the Circle.”

  “I have questions.”

  “I’m sure you do,” Daniel said, holding her hand as he stood up. “But if I wanted you to have the answers, I wouldn’t have built those walls in your mind.”

  “Wait, please don’t go.”

  Gigi began to cry because she sensed Daniel was important to her and he wouldn’t stay with her. She wanted to know why.

  “Gigi, you must hide. You must not get angry. And it is very important for you not to remember. Those are my three most important rules. If I stay, you could remember which could make it very difficult for you to avoid getting angry which will make it hard for you to hide. If I stay, you’ll break all the rules.”

  Knowing he was about to leave, Gigi asked the one question which mattered most. “Is Mamma Celeste real?”

  Daniel released her hand then leaned over to kiss her forehead.

  “Yes, your mamma is real.”

  “Is she alive?”

  “Yes and she misses you very much.”

  “Why can’t I see her?” Gigi whimpered. “I want my mamma.”

  Flinching, Daniel returned to her side. “What do you remember?”

  “The same as before. She would cook and sing to me. I think I was little then. She doesn’t look like me, but I love her and I think she loves me.”

  “She loves you so very much. She took you into her heart the day you were born and is suffering without you, but it’s not safe for her to be with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you shouldn’t remember. Maybe you were always going to remember a little about your mamma because almost all of your memories are of her, but you mustn’t try to remember more. There are very bad memories which will make you very angry and you should not get angry.”

  “But I already remember her.”

  “But you will remember more if you see her. Once you begin to remember, the walls will crack.”

  “I’m lonely.”

  “You are always lonely. It’s part of who you are. Enjoy your friends and your cats and know how your mamma misses you.”

  “Is she my only family?”

  “Yes.”

  “The witches said my family is dead and someone put up the walls to protect me. Is that true?”

  “Yes, the walls are there to protect you.”

  “Are you going to make me forget you again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you let me remember how Mamma Celeste is real? I got sad when the witches said my mind made her up.”

  “I’ll try.”

  Gigi gazed up at Daniel and thought he looked sad. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

  “Thank you for fixing me again.”

  “You’re welcome. I know what happened with the vampire was scary, but now maybe the others will realize how eating you isn’t a viable option. You might be safer in the short run.”

  “I wanted Simon to bite me and change me into a Vamp. I wanted to stay with him for a long time, so I won’t be lonely.”

  Standing up, Daniel sighed. “You always were silly in the oddest ways. Fortunately, sunshine, you can’t be a vampire. You’ll have to find another way to deal with your loneliness.”

  “Okay.”

  Daniel smiled and again leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Be good.”

  “If I can find the monster that took Sara, I’m going to kill it. I’ll be careful and hide, but I want the monster dead.”

  Daniel’s smile faded. “You can’t kill the monster.”

  “Do you know where it is?”

  “Let someone else kill the monster.”

  “No one else cares.”

  Daniel grumbled something to himself causing the kittens to run from the room in fear.

  “You scared my kitties.”

  Daniel sighed, grumpy now. “You won’t be able to find the monster.”

  “Because you’re protecting it?”

  “Why would I protect it?”

  Gigi sat up and frowned at him “Because maybe you’re the monster?”

  Daniel squinted at her. “The Circle hasn’t been a good influence on you.”

  “You stole my memories and you are very powerful. You care for me and the monster in the alley didn’t want to hurt me. You could be the one who took Sara.”

  The thought of Sara brought tears to Gigi’s eyes, but she stayed focused on Daniel who pulled at the collar of his faded green shirt.

  “I am not a monster and I didn’t hurt your friend. I don’t know who the monster is either. While I am sad for
your friend, I don’t care about the monster.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I am trying to protect you.”

  “Then kill the monster so I won’t have to.”

  “But I don’t know who the monster is and I can’t stay long enough in the Circle to look for it. Just promise me you won’t go after the monster.”

  “No, I’m killing it.”

  “You can’t. You don’t know how to find it or what it is or how to kill it?”

  “I killed the thing in the alley and I’ll kill the monster that took Sara. She’s my friend and I won’t forget her.”

  Daniel sighed angrily. “Maybe I should move you from the Circle.”

  “No, it’s not safe.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Well there is a lot of stuff in my apartment which took time to buy and put in the right places. The witches told me it’s very difficult to put so many walls in my mind. You put a lot of effort into moving me here, so you can’t move me again. Sorry.”

  Daniel laughed. “Mamma Celeste would be very proud of you. She always took great pleasure in frustrating me.”

  “So you’ll leave me here?”

  “As you pointed out, moving you would be difficult.”

  “Can I kill the monster then?”

  “If you can find it and figure out a way to kill it, go ahead, but you won’t do either, so I’m not too worried.”

  Sliding off the bed, Gigi stretched. “I feel all better. How do you do that?”

  Daniel frowned and stepped back. “I’d prefer if you took a nap and rested a bit.”

  “Why? I feel fine now.”

  “I don’t want you to try to follow me.”

  “Why would I? I don’t even know you.”

  Daniel frowned darkly at her. “Did you really want to be a vampire?”

  “Yes, I like Simon.”

  “Liking someone isn’t a good reason to have them turn you into a vampire.”

  “I’m lonely. You took away my mamma and my memories and left me here. I have to make a life and the Weres are giving me blue balls and my best friend was taken by a monster. I want to be happy and spending time with Simon makes me happy.”

  “Find another way to feel happy,” Daniel said, taking her hand and pulling her back to the bed. “Get a hobby.”

  “I play poker. That’s a hobby,” Gigi said as he pushed her to lie down. “Hunting the monster will be another hobby.”

  “Please stay away from the monster.”

  “Do you know the name of the ghost who follows me around?”

  “Her name is Millicent, but you can’t speak to her.”

  “Maybe I’ll find a way? Will you let me remember her name?”

  “Go to sleep.”

  “No.”

  Daniel grinned at her. “That wasn’t a suggestion, sunshine.”

  Gigi started to protest, but Daniel’s fingers grazed her forehead and she awoke the next day to a sunlit room. She remembered how someone was in the room with her the night before, but the specifics were blocked. Sitting up, she found the kittens on the bed with her. They were staring at the ghost who sat in a nearby chair.

  “Did a Vamp try to eat me last night, Millicent?” Gigi asked.

  Millicent nodded as she combed her long white hair.

  “Did you fix me?”

  Millicent shook her head.

  “Do you want to help me find a monster?”

  Millicent stopped brushing her hair and scowled. Instead of answering, she disappeared from the room. The kittens stood up when the ghost left and their little faces turned to Gigi.

  Gigi groaned as she climbed out of bed. “I wish you guys could talk and tell me what the hell is going on.”

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Gigi called Silas to tell him she was alive. He sounded incredibly relieved and a little irritated. When she asked if he was mad at her, he sighed like he always did when she annoyed him with questions he didn’t feel he should have to answer.

  Silas said he would let the others know she was okay and then hung up. Gigi decided to start her day by stopping by Anton’s office. She wanted to thank him for calming Simon the night before.

  Anton quickly took her into his office and pulled her into a really great hug. With his arms around her, Gigi felt like nothing ugly existed in the world. His hug didn’t last long and the real world returned.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Anton said, gazing at her with his beautiful dark eyes.

  “Are you going to kiss me?” Gigi asked, feeling bold because bold worked well with Simon.

  Anton smiled slightly then his lips found hers. Gigi didn’t know why she wanted Anton so much. When he touched her, she felt warm in a way she hungered for always. It wasn’t just lust like with Declan, but something deeper and she wanted Anton to keep touching her. Yet he always pulled away and today was no exception.

  One minute his arms were wrapped around her and his lips soft on hers, even as his tongue tasted her hungrily. The next minute, he stepped back and took a deep breath, looking frustrated as he ran his hands through his thick brown hair. Gigi wasn’t sure if Anton was giving himself blue balls, but she knew he was irritating the hell out of her.

  “Do you know where Simon lives?” Gigi asked before leaving his office.

  “Why?”

  Gigi frowned. “I want to show him I’m okay. I know he’ll be worried.”

  Anton shared her frown. “He lives on the outer ridge of the Circle where most of the Vamps live.”

  “Do you have his address? I can put it into my GPS.”

  “No, I don’t,” Anton said and Gigi knew he was lying.

  “Okay. I’ll ask Michael. He knows stuff.”

  Anton started to say something, but Gigi opened the door and he thought better of it. Walking into the main office, she said goodbye to the others and rubbed Melanie’s bump which kicked her in response.

  Gigi sensed Anton watching her and she also sensed he didn’t want her to visit Simon. The Were was always teasing her and she was starting to find him more frustrating than enjoyable to be around.

  Michael did know Simon’s address and he gave it to her because he still felt guilty about her almost dying.

  Simon’s house was huge and Gigi had to go through a gate to get to it, but only after telling an angry voice who she was. Once she parked, Gigi stared up at the balcony above the circular drive. His house was very white and it looked old, yet not rundown like some of the houses she saw on the way. This house was beautiful and she imagined living in it with Simon, even though that apparently was no longer an option.

  The front door opened and a woman with blonde hair pulled into a tight bun and sharp blue eyes studied Gigi.

  “He is waiting for you.”

  Gigi nodded, ignoring the woman’s stern manner since she figured being a human surrounded by Vamps couldn’t be fun. Following the woman into a large dark room, Gigi suddenly found herself alone once the assistant shut the double doors. The lighting was too murky to see much, but then Simon appeared.

  “Anton was right,” Simon said quietly. “I owe him a chew toy.”

  Gigi wanted to respond, but his lips were on hers and they were more eager than his kisses from before. With one hand at the small of her back and the other in her hair, Simon pulled her against him. Immediately forgetting about Vamp rules, she slid her hands around him and realized only a silky robe kept his bare body from her.

  The thought of him nude made her even forget about how her blood would kill him. She wasn’t interested in being bitten as much as being loved anyway. Could with time Simon love her? Yet like the Weres, he pulled away - right when she was getting comfortable.

  “Lawrence was my problem. I should have dealt with him sooner. I apologize.”

  “No, I’m glad it happened.”

  Even in the darkness, Gigi could see how Simon frowned. Her hands were caressing his bare chest as his robe slid open just a bit further.

&n
bsp; “I understand you have a magical friend who can fix you good as new, but how can you be glad to have Lawrence rip open your chest and drain you of blood?”

  “I wanted to be with you, but if you had bitten me, you would have died. I’m glad it was Lawrence instead.”

  The room was too dark to see much, but Gigi felt Simon’s hands leave her then he was gone from her sight. For a moment she thought he left the room. When she looked hard though, the darkness lightened and she noticed him in a chair in the corner.

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  Simon didn’t speak immediately. When he did, his voice was strange.

  “Your blood is toxic to Vamps. No creature I know of has blood toxic to my kind. I can’t change certain creatures, but I can feed off any of them. I always assumed a witch tinkered with your mind, but no witch can heal you the way you’ve been healed twice now. I thought maybe a powerful sorcerer was behind your situation, possibly using ancient dark magic to heal you. Yet your blood is tainted in a way I have never heard of before.”

  “Did Dahlia tell you what Mira said?” Gigi asked, stepping closer.

  “Yes.”

  “The witch doesn’t know what I am.”

  “No one does, but the witches will want you now more than ever. They’ll all want you. If your blood can kill vampires, it could be twisted into a weapon. You are in more danger now than if Lawrence had changed you last night.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You apologize for things which are not your fault. It’s an endearing quality in a human, but I think it’s very clear at this point how you are not human. Please stop apologizing.”

  Simon’s voice still sounded hollow and it took Gigi a minute to realize he was sad.

  “I don’t want anyone to use my blood to hurt you.”

  “And I don’t want you to be harvested so they can have your blood. I’m not sure how to handle this situation.”

  “If everyone thinks I have a powerful sorcerer protecting me, won’t they be afraid of messing with me?”

  “Do you though?”

  “I don’t know, but I woke up healed. I don’t know who did it, but I know my ghost’s name now. Maybe she can help me?”

  “Ghosts lie. If your ghost is bound to you by the will of the sorcerer, she will not aid you unless it is by his order.”