Masquerade and Other Tales

by Amanda Ashley

Dozens of white candles lit the room.

  Kathy swallowed hard as Hester placed a small silver goblet on the coffee table in front of them. She left the room for a moment, returning with two hypodermic needles.

  “The omens are favorable,” Hester said as she pulled a small bottle of alcohol and two cotton balls from one of her voluminous pockets.

  “Favorable?” Jessie asked.

  “Yes, I have consulted the stars. Mars and Jupiter are in close conjunction. It is a good omen for change.” Hester looked at Kathy. “Your arm, please.”

  Kathy held her breath as Hester swabbed her arm with alcohol. She winced at the prick of the needle, looked away as the syringe began to fill with blood. Her blood.

  Watching the blood leave her body made her sick to her stomach. How did Jessie drink it?

  “Done,” Hester said. She slapped a Band-Aid on Kathy’s arm, withdrew blood from her own arm and mingled it with Kathy’s blood, which she had emptied from the syringe into the goblet.

  Opening several small vials, Hester sprinkled the contents into the goblet. She stirred the mixture with a silver spoon, chanting all the while. She uncorked another vial and poured in a liquid that was thick and yellow. A thin column of black smoke rose from the goblet as Hester picked it up and rolled it back and forth between her palms.

  She stopped chanting, and looked at Kathy, her black eyes sharp. “Do you love this man here beside you and no other?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you swear your love is true?”

  “Yes.”

  Hester looked at Jessie. “ And you? Do you love this woman here beside you and no other?”

  “Yes,” Jessie replied quietly.

  “Do you swear your love is true?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  Hester passed one hand over the goblet. “From dark to light, from death to life, true love will prevail.” She handed Jessie the goblet. “Drink it. Quickly! Before the blood cools.”

  Jessie gazed deeply into Kathy’s eyes as he lifted the cup. “I love you, darlin’. Whatever happens, remember that,” he said, and lifting the goblet, he downed the contents in one long swallow.

  “Kathy.” He gasped her name as the goblet fell from his hand. “Kathy…”

  The cup rolled to a stop. A single drop of dark red blood spilled out onto the floor.

  “Jessie!” She screamed his name as he fell back on the sofa, his body going limp, his head lolling to one side. She cried his name again, and again, but he didn’t speak, didn’t move.

  The world began to spin around her, faster and faster, and then everything went black.

  Chapter 16

  Kathy woke in her hotel room, in her bed, alone. For a moment, her mind was mercifully blank, and then it all came back to her – Hester, the blood…and Jessie.

  He was dead, she thought, really dead this time. Her love hadn’t been strong enough, true enough, and her blood had destroyed him.

  Tears burned her eyes. Jessie….Jessie…how was she going to go on without him? She should have insisted he make her what he was. At least then they would still be together.

  She rolled onto her side and buried her face in the pillow he had slept on. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Jessie…She felt numb inside, and empty, so empty. She tried to think of what she would do now. She didn’t want to stay here, without him.

  Rising, she went to the window and opened the drapes. The rising sun was streaking the sky with long fingers of crimson. It reminded her of blood and she turned away.

  This afternoon she would call Keri and tell her she was coming home and ask her to get in touch with the couple renting her condo and give them thirty days’ notice….

  She climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over her. She was reaching for Jessie’s pillow when she heard a knock at the door.

  Frowning, she slid out of bed, grabbed her robe, and went to the door, wondering who on earth would be at her door at this time of the morning.

  “Who is it?”

  A muffled voice answered. “Room service.”

  Kathy frowned as she opened the door. “I didn’t order any…”

  The words died in her throat. She took a step backward, one hand pressed to her heart. “Jessie!”

  His grin was as wide as the Grand Canyon. “Mornin’, darlin’,” he said cheerfully. “I brought breakfast.” He lifted the lid on a large tray. “I didn’t know what you liked, and I haven’t eaten in a while, so I brought everything I could think of. Ham and eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, biscuits and honey, French toast, bagels, chocolate chip muffins.”

  She stared at him, at the mountain of food on the tray, then turned to look out the window. The sun was shining brightly. “I must be dreaming,” she murmured.

  “You gonna invite me in?” Jessie asked, “or make me eat my first breakfast in over thirty years standing out here in the hallway?”

  Speechless, she stood aside.

  Jessie entered the room, then nudged the door shut with his heel.

  “It’s daytime,” Kathy said. “And you’re here. How?’ She shook her head. “Last time I saw you, you were…I thought I’d killed you.”

  Jessie set the tray on the coffee table, then folded Kathy into his arms. “It worked, darlin’. I’m human again.”

  “But last night…”

  “I died. That is, the vampire died.”

  She didn’t know what to say, what to think. She could only stare up at him, breathless, speechless.

  “Kathy?” He grinned at her. “You might say you’re glad to see me.”

  “Oh, Jessie,” she exclaimed softly. “Jessie, you’re alive!”

  He laughed then, a deep, full-throated laugh that warmed her heart and soul.

  “Jessie! Jessie!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Kissed him and kissed him again as happiness welled up inside her, bubbling like sparkling champagne.

  “Should I call you Elvis now?” she asked, leaning back so she could see his face.

  “No, darlin’. I’m Jessie now. Your Jessie, if you’ll still have me.”

  “I’ve always been Jessie’s girl,” she replied with a saucy grin. “And I intend to have you in every way possible.”

  “Here I am, darlin’,” he said. “Do your worst.”

  “Quite the contrary,” she replied, taking him by the hand and leading him into the bedroom. “I intend to do my very best.”

  Breakfast was a long time cold before they got back to it.

  Epilogue

  “Oh, Jessie, it’s so beautiful here.”

  “It is that,” he agreed. “But not as beautiful as my bride. Happy, darlin’?”

  “Yes, oh, yes.” She held up her hand, admiring her wedding ring. It was a simple gold band, the perfect mate to the flawless diamond engagement ring.

  With a sigh, she leaned back against him and gazed out at the flawless blue ocean. They had been married in Las Vegas the day before, then flown to Maui for their honeymoon. She had wanted to see the Islands ever since she saw the movie, Blue Hawaii. It was like paradise, she mused, the vast blue ocean, the white sand, the palm trees.

  They had toured Kauai and Oahu, and the big island of Hawaii. They had been to a luau, taken hula dancing lessons, gone scuba diving, seen volcanoes and waterfalls. But the best times had been the early mornings and late nights in their room, locked in Jessie’s arms.

  She watched the waves dancing on the shore as the sun rose on a new day, its golden light shining on them like a benediction. Their lives stretched out before them. Like the ocean, they would have highs and lows, but the love they shared would see them through.

  She sighed with pleasure as Jessie hugged her close, felt her heart skip a beat as he swung her up into his arms and carried her inside, happy beyond measure to be Jessie’s girl.

  The End

  Sandy’s Angel

  Amanda Ashley

  Chapter 1

  Hell Town, Wyoming

  18
85

  Sandy pulled back hard on the reins to keep the horses from trampling whatever, or whoever, was lying across the trail.

  Ordinarily, she would have been watching the road more closely on a cloudy night like this, but she was still reeling from the sight of a comet or some other heavenly body that had gone streaking across the night sky in front of her only a few moments earlier.

  And now this. She hoped it wasn’t a deer, or worse, one of her heifers.

  Looping the reins around the brake, she climbed down from the wagon and walked toward the still figure, which was clearly illuminated in the glow of a bright harvest moon.

  Heidi jumped out of the back of the wagon and followed her, growling softly.

  Sandy pressed a hand to her heart as she drew closer. It wasn’t a calf, or a deer. It was a man. A man who was very nearly naked.

  “Oh, please,” she whispered, one hand at her throat. “Please don’t be dead”.

  The words repeated themselves in her mind as she knelt beside him and gently rolled him onto his back.

  Her first thought was that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Not beautiful in the feminine sense of the word, for he was totally, blatantly male from the top of his head to the soles of his bare feet, but beautiful nonetheless. Her gaze skimmed over him – long black hair, thick sooty-colored lashes, an aristocratic nose, perfectly shaped, sensual lips, broad shoulders, a chest lightly furred with curly black hair, a washboard stomach, long muscular arms and legs. Sheer, masculine perfection, she thought again, all wrapped up in a nice healthy tan.

  She frowned at the odd-looking cloth that covered his loins. It was dark green and for some peculiar reason, it reminded her of a fig leaf.

  Sandy sat back on her heels. There was no sign of blood. No outward evidence of anything broken or sprained. As far as she could tell, he was breathing normally. There was something almost hypnotic about the steady rise and fall of that broad beautiful chest.

  Tentatively, she placed her hand on his shoulder. His skin felt warm and smooth.

  “Hey.” She shook his shoulder gently. “Hey, can you hear me?”

  Tail wagging, Heidi licked the man’s face.

  “Here now, Heidi, stop that.” Grabbing the dog’s collar, she pulled the Collie away. “Sit, girl. Stay.”

  The man stirred slightly, and then his eyelids fluttered open.

  “Are you all right?” Sandy asked, unable to draw her gaze from his face. In the soft glow of the moon’s light, she could see that his eyes were a deep clear blue, like heavenly sapphires.

  He blinked up at her. “Hello, Sandra Lynne Davis.”

  Sandy sat back on her heels. “Who the devil are you?” she asked, startled to hear her name on a stranger’s lips “And how the heck do you know who I am?”

  “My name is Rafael,” he replied, his voice deep and soft and somehow soothing. “And the devil had nothing to do with it.” He looked up at her and smiled. “I’m an angel.”

  Sandy grinned. Obviously, the man had landed on his head. Hard. What would an angel be doing in Hell Tree, Wyoming?

  “An angel huh?” Sandy replied. “Where are your wings?”

  “Angels don’t have wings.” He sat up in a single, smooth movement, his gaze intent upon her face. “Fairies have wings.”

  “Really? All the angels I’ve seen have had wings.”

  He looked at her, one brow arched. “Have you seen very many?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not. Are you sure you’re all right? Do you hurt anywhere?”

  Slowly, he lifted a hand to the back of his head. “There is some discomfort here. Would that be pain?”

  Reaching forward, Sandy probed the back of his head. She grunted softly when she found a lump the size of a goose egg. It proved what she had suspected all along. He had landed on his head.

  “It’s not bleeding,” Sandy said reassuringly. “Is your vision blurred or anything?”

  “Blurred?” He squinted at her. “No, I don’t think so.”

  Sandy frowned, wondering what to do with him. She couldn’t just leave him out here, not with that monstrous bump on his head, not when he was delusional. Certainly not when he was nearly naked.

  On the other hand, taking him home didn’t seem wise. She was single, after all. But she didn’t live alone. Her housekeeper could double as her chaperone until Rafael was fit to travel.

  “Come on,” she said, her decision made. “I’ll take you home.”

  Frowning, he glanced up at the sky. “Home? Ah, your home. Yes.”

  Sandy shook her head. For all that he was the most amazingly handsome man she had ever seen, he was obviously one flake short of a bale. Rising, she offered her hand to help him to his feet.

  When his fingers closed around hers, a delicious heat unlike anything she had ever known flowed through her fingers, seeped into her palm, spread all the way up her arm and settled in her heart, filling her with a remarkable warmth. He rose lithely to his feet to tower over her. She had not realized how tall he was. Tall and lean and well-muscled. And nearly naked.

  Never in all her twenty-three years had she been so intrigued by a man. It was difficult not to simply stand there and stare at him. It took all her will-power to draw her gaze from his face.

  “Well, come on,” she said, “let’s get you home.” And dressed, she added to herself, although it almost seemed a sin to cover that Adonis-like body. Calling, “Heidi, come,” Sandy lowered the tailgate, and the Collie jumped into the back of the wagon.

  Rafael followed the woman to the conveyance and vaulted up on the seat. The woman climbed up beside him, took up the reins, and clucked to the horse.

  Sitting back in the seat, his arms crossed over his chest, Rafael watched the countryside go by. The Earth was indeed beautiful, just as Benjamin had promised. He lifted his hand, winced when his fingertips found the lump on the back of his head. New experiences, Benjamin had said, that was why Rafael needed to go to Earth. It would enable him to better understand human behavior if he spent some time living among them. He needed to experience sadness, loneliness, pain, hunger, cold, fear, anger, and depression, as well as happiness, joy, and pleasure.

  When he tired of looking at miles and miles of gently rolling grassland, Rafael turned his attention to the young woman sitting beside him. She was quite lovely, with fine golden brown skin and a wealth of long dark red hair. Her eyes, beneath thick lashes, were as deep and green as the leaves of a celestial tree. She had a generous mouth, a stubborn chin, and a tip-tilted nose that could only be described as cute.

  An unfamiliar warmth pooled in his groin as his gaze drifted over her body. Definitely female – a little plump, with curves in all the right places. Her breasts filled out the blue cotton shirt; faded jeans hugged her long shapely legs. She wore a pair of scuffed brown leather cowboy boots.

  He took a deep breath and his nostrils filled with a myriad of scents: earth, trees, flowers, hay, and over all, a scent he didn’t recognize but realized was peculiar to the woman herself. It was a pleasant aroma, reminiscent of a spring day. Could it be perfume?

  “Are you from one of the ranches around here?” Sandy asked.

  Rafael hesitated a moment before replying. “Not exactly.”

  “I didn’t think so. You don’t strike me as the cowboy type.”

  “Oh? What type do you think I am?”

  “I’m not sure.” She glanced at him, then shook her head. “I don’t know. What kind of work do you do?”

  “Work?”

  “You know, a job?”

  “Ah, my profession.”

  Sandy laughed. “When you first regained consciousness, you said you were an angel, but I can’t imagine there’s much profit in that.”

  He looked aghast at her words. “I said that?”

  Sandy nodded. “I figure you must have hit your head pretty hard.”

  “Indeed,” he muttered, hoping he would be forgiven for telling her such a thing.

  �
�So, what line of work are you in?”

  “You might say I’m a man of the cloth.”

  “A preacher, you mean?”

  “Yes, something like that.”

  “How’d you wind up almost...ah…you know, in the middle of the road?”

  Rafael glanced at his scanty attire and felt a rush of color flood his cheeks. Was he blushing?

  “I’m not sure,” he hedged, though he knew very well what had happened. In his haste to experience Earth life, he had neglected to properly clothe himself but he couldn’t tell her that. Of course, lying was a sin, but in this case, a necessary one, since he was forbidden to tell her the truth.

  “Well, I’ll have Nina take a look at your head when we get home. Do you have any family nearby? A wife?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “No family.”

  “Oh.” So, he wasn’t married. The thought pleased her more than it should have. “Perhaps you can get in touch with your boss.”

  He glanced up at the vast indigo sky and grinned. “Yes, perhaps I’ll do that.”

  He had a wonderful smile, she thought, and almost ran them into a fence because she was watching him instead of the road.

  A few minutes later she made a left turn onto the tree-lined dirt road that led to the big, ranch-style house where she had been born. It was a little run down now, but as soon as she got a little money ahead, she was going to get it fixed up. So many things that needed doing, she thought as she reined the team to a halt in front of the house. The shutters at the windows, once a deep forest green, were badly faded. The barn roof was in need of repair. The bunkhouse needed a new roof. One of the corrals out back needed a new gate. But there were good things, too. She loved the verandah wrapped around the front of the house, and the flowers that grew in wild profusion on both sides of the front porch. The rope swing she had played on as a little girl still hung from the big old oak tree on the side of the house. Someday, the good Lord willing, her own children would play on it

  “Well,” she said, setting the brake. “We’re home.”

  Rafael nodded. “Home,” he repeated quietly, but it was the woman he was looking at when he said it, and not the house.