Night's Illusion

by Amanda Ashley

  Mara turned to face Giovanni, who leaned against the back of the sofa, arms folded across his chest. “Cassie should adjust to her new life quickly. After all, she has your blood in her veins, and since you have mine . . .” She shrugged. “She’ll be strong and resilient once the initial shock wears off.”

  Giovanni nodded. Because of that blood, Cassie would likely be able to be awake a few hours each day, and then for longer periods of time as she grew stronger, something most vampires accomplished as they aged.

  “Since all is well here,” Mara said, “I think Logan and I will go home. Perhaps take a trip to Egypt. A honeymoon of sorts,” she said with a smile. “That’s where we met, you know.” She closed the distance between them and caressed his cheek. “You’re an amazing man, Father. Take good care of yourself. And Cassie, too.”

  “I will. You take care of you. I don’t know what the family would do without you.”

  “Hopefully, you’ll never find out.”

  “Good,” he said with a grin. “I’m getting used to having you meddle in my affairs.”

  She laughed softly and then, with an airy wave of her hand, she was gone.

  “Was that Mara’s voice I heard?” Cassie asked, emerging from the bedroom.

  “Yeah. She came by to see how you were doing.” His gaze moved over her. “How are you doing, love?”

  “I’m so hungry!”

  “Let’s go.”

  Cassie looked at Johnny, dressed in ubiquitous black, and then down at her green sweater and jeans. “I guess I’ll have to buy more new clothes,” she said ruefully. “Something in black that won’t show the bloodstains.”

  * * *

  There was no shortage of prey in Las Vegas, Giovanni thought as they strolled down the sidewalk. The streets and walkways were thronged with people. The trick was finding someone alone.

  And it couldn’t be just anyone, not for Cassie’s first hunt. It had to be a young man, one who looked good and smelled good. In desperate times, he had fed on drunks and addicts and an occasional lady of the evening, and there were plenty of those around in the city’s dark underbelly. But not for Cassie.

  He finally spied a well-dressed man in his early thirties coming out of a sports bar.

  Taking Cassie by the hand, they followed the man to his car, which happened to be parked on the side of a building, out of sight of passersby. Dropping her hand, Giovanni walked up behind the man and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

  The fellow whirled around, eyes wide. A bit of preternatural power kept him from bolting down the street, and then Giovanni spoke to his mind, telling him to relax, assuring him that he was in no danger.

  Giovanni looked at Cassie over the man’s shoulder. “The rest is up to you.”

  She glanced at the stranger, at Johnny, and back at the stranger. “What do I do?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Cassie.”

  “All right. I want to sink my teeth into him and bleed him dry! How sick is that!”

  He laughed softly. “It’s pretty normal, actually. Forget your human revulsion and let the vampire within you take over. Just follow your instincts.”

  “I have vampire instincts now?” she asked, wide-eyed.

  “It won’t be unpleasant,” he said, amused by her response.

  “Will it be like drinking from you?”

  “No. Vampire blood has a kind of kick that can be addictive for mortals. But this man’s blood will be sweet. He’s young and healthy and he hasn’t been drinking too much or smoking pot.”

  “What happens if you drink from someone who’s got the flu or is diseased or . . . ?”

  “Nothing. The blood might taste bad, but it won’t hurt you. Unless it’s poisoned. That might make you sick for a while.” He winked at her. “Stop stalling, cara mia. We can’t stand here all night.”

  Cassie nodded as she moved slowly toward the man, and then she hesitated. He looked like a nice guy. Was he married? A father? What if she accidentally took too much and killed him? Shaking her head, she took a step back. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Yes, you can.” Bending down, Giovanni bit the man below his ear, just enough to draw blood. And then he grinned as Cassie’s eyes took on a faint reddish glow.

  Cassie took a deep breath, and then, unable to believe what she was doing, she sank her fangs into his throat. Ambrosia. The nectar of the gods. Better than dark chocolate. She closed her eyes as warmth and strength spread through every fiber of her being, easing the awful pain in her gut. Caught up in the moment, she thought nothing had ever tasted so good. Nothing except Johnny.

  He laid his hand on her shoulder. “Enough.”

  Lifting her head, she snarled at him and then, embarrassed, she turned her back to him. “It’s not funny,” she exclaimed when he laughed. “I’m turning into a monster!”

  Still laughing, Johnny pulled her into his arms. A quiet word released the man from his thrall and sent him on his way.

  “It’s not funny,” she said again, her voice muffled against his chest.

  “But not unexpected.” Putting his finger under her chin, he raised her head. “None of us want to quit the first time. In the beginning, you need to learn to feed from many to satisfy your thirst instead of just one. That way you don’t have to worry about taking too much from any of them.”

  She supposed that made sense. “I guess you can’t learn everything you need to know just by living with a vampire,” she said, ruefully. “I’m glad I have you to teach me the ropes. I don’t know how you ever survived on your own.”

  “I was just lucky.”

  “I don’t think so. I think you’ve always been a kind and decent man. Becoming a vampire didn’t change that.” She smiled up at him. “Aren’t you the one who told me good people stay that way?”

  “I guess so. Let’s get out of here.”

  Hand in hand, they walked back to the hotel.

  “What happened to Alric? I sort of forgot about him with everything else that’s happened.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  “I’m guessing he must be dead, since the family went home.”

  “You might say he met an unfortunate end.”

  “Does that mean you killed him?”

  “In a way. He took a nosedive over the balcony.”

  “I don’t understand. Why didn’t he just land on his feet?”

  “He might have except for one thing—the sun was coming up at the time.”

  She frowned. “I still don’t understand.”

  “I think he was a little out of his mind at the time and not thinking straight. He’d lost a lot of blood during our battle. It left him weak and vulnerable.” He saw no need to go into the grisly details. “I’m glad he’s gone once and for all.”

  Cassie grimaced. What a horrible way to die. Quick, she supposed, but gruesome. “Will you teach me all the things you know? Like how to turn into mist and think myself where I want to go? And how to mesmerize people, and leap tall buildings in a single bound, and . . .”

  “You’re thinking of Superman now,” he chided gently.

  “No, I’m not. You’re better than he is. Stronger. Sexier.”

  “Sexier?” He lifted one brow. “You think I’m sexy?”

  “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Well, no one’s ever called me that before.”

  “Maybe I was mistaken,” she said with mock disappointment.

  “Let’s go up to our room,” he suggested with a leer, “and I’ll see if I can live up to your expectations.”

  Chapter 51

  Angelica watched Giovanni and the woman enter the hotel. Unbeknownst to Alric, she had followed him to Vegas. She had been outside the hotel when he died. She’d tried to save him, but it had all happened so fast, he had disintegrated before she could summon her magic.

  She blinked back her tears as she recalled the night she’d met him to inform him of Giovanni’s
whereabouts. It had led to hours of reminiscing about the past. They had talked of old times and old friends, about the five years they had spent together in Spain. In those days, she had seen a side of him that few people knew—a less angry side that he rarely showed. It had reminded her of how much she had once loved him. When they’d parted that night, they had made plans to meet again.

  And now he was gone.

  And it was all Giovanni’s fault.

  No doubt the priest thought he was going to live happily ever after with his woman, Angelica mused, but it was never going to happen.

  Because she had other ideas.

  Chapter 52

  Cassie let out a whoop as her slot machine hit a jackpot, the bells and whistles adding to the cacophony of sound that filled the casino. “Twelve hundred dollars!” she crowed. “I can’t believe it!”

  Giovanni smiled, not because of the money but because she seemed so happy and carefree. He had worried that she would start to regret being turned, that she would resent him for it. Of course, that might still happen, since she’d only been a vampire for a few days. Once the danger had passed, Cassie decided she wanted to stay in Vegas for a while. Not that he could blame her. In addition to gambling, there were shows and concerts and lots of elite shops. He grinned, thinking she would be able to go on quite a shopping spree with all that cash.

  Seeing the growing agitation in Cassie’s eyes, he suggested they collect her winnings and leave the casino. He remembered what it was like to be a fledgling, knew how overwhelming the noise, the bright lights, and the crush of people—not to mention the constant temptation of so many beating hearts—could be.

  “I can’t believe I won a jackpot!” Cassie exclaimed as they made their way down the street.

  “You’ve got the devil’s own luck,” he said. “I think you’ve walked away a winner from every game you played tonight.”

  Cassie grinned at him. “The devil’s own luck?” she teased.

  “It’s just an old saying, love. I don’t mean that you’re the devil.”

  “Where shall we go now?”

  “I think maybe we should go hunting. Your eyes are looking a little red and not because you’re tired.”

  “Will I always need to hunt every night?”

  “For a while. In time, you can feed less often.”

  “Hmm.” He had told her that he fed every night because he liked it, not because it was necessary. “Will you show me how to dissolve into mist?”

  “After you feed, if you like.”

  * * *

  Cassie had just released her chosen prey from her thrall when Johnny laid a hand on her arm.

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

  “No.” Raising his head, he drew in a deep breath. “I thought . . .” Not wanting to worry her, he shrugged it off. Maybe he’d been imagining things.

  Cassie glanced around. “What is it?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing. Are you ready?”

  “I guess so.”

  “It’s a little scary the first time. It takes a lot of concentration. You have to picture yourself with no physical form—weightless. Think of how you felt when you looked in the mirror right after you were turned and there was nothing there. Focus on that feeling of nothingness.”

  Cassie did as Johnny had suggested. She concentrated on how it felt to have no reflection, that horrible sense of being invisible to the world, of being nonexistent.

  “Cassie?”

  She tried to speak and couldn’t. It took her a moment to realize she was floating above Johnny’s head. She felt a moment of exhilaration. She’d done it! Swiftly followed by a sense of panic. What if she couldn’t resume her physical body? What if the wind blew and swept her away and Johnny couldn’t find her? What if... ?

  “Cassie, calm down. I’m right here. You’re doing fine. Imagine your feet planted on the ground. Feel the weight of your body, the pull of gravity. That’s it. Relax into yourself.”

  She concentrated on his voice, grabbed his arm with a sigh of relief when she felt the sidewalk beneath her. “I’m not sure I ever want to try that again.”

  Giovanni laughed softly. “Sure you will. It gets easier, with practice.” He felt it again, that subtle sense of being watched. “Give it another try. This time, propel yourself toward the hotel. I’ll be right behind you.”

  It was easier this time. Cassie floated above the ground, wondering how it was possible to see where she was going without having a physical form. Drifting over the crowded street below was almost like flying. The hotel was just ahead. She couldn’t just materialize on the sidewalk where people would see her, she thought, glancing around. She floated onward until she found a dark spot between two parked cars. Taking on her own shape, she saw Johnny standing beside her.

  “It’s all so weird,” she remarked. “I mean, where do our clothes go when we’re mist and how do we get them back?”

  “I don’t have the slightest idea,” he said with a shrug. “Mara’s been doing this a lot longer than I have. Maybe she knows. It is odd, though. I know when Derek shifts to werewolf, he has to undress first or the change shreds his clothes. Just one of life’s mysteries, I guess,” he said, taking her hand. “Speaking of mysteries, you still have a few I haven’t discovered.”

  “Oh?” A shiver of anticipation raced up her spine at the thought of being in his arms again.

  “I’ve been wanting to make love to you all night,” he said, his voice whiskey-rough. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

  “You were having such a good time in the casino, I didn’t want to stop you.”

  She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Do you really think I’d rather gamble than be in bed with you?”

  “I hope not.”

  Before she could reply, they were standing in the middle of their hotel room. A smile played over Cassie’s lips as she slid his jacket off his shoulders and tossed it aside, then lifted his T-shirt over his head and threw it on top of his jacket. He wasn’t wearing an undershirt. “Is this what you had in mind?” she purred.

  “More like this.” He reached around her and slowly unzipped her dress.

  She stepped out of her heels, then kicked her dress out of the way. Clad in nothing but a bright pink bra and matching bikini panties, she said, “My turn.” She removed his belt, waited while he toed off his boots before unzipping his trousers to reveal a pair of black bikini briefs that left little to the imagination.

  Cradling her in his arms, Giovanni headed for the bedroom. “I can’t believe you’re really mine,” he murmured, raining kisses over her cheeks, her brow, her breasts. “I keep thinking I must be dreaming, but I know that’s impossible.”

  “I’m really here.” She ran her hands over his back and shoulders. “Feel me touching you.”

  “Don’t stop,” he growled as he rose over her. “Don’t ever stop.”

  * * *

  Angelica swore softly as she prowled the dark streets searching for prey. Giovanni and the woman had disappeared, but it didn’t matter.

  She knew where to find them.

  * * *

  Cassie woke abruptly, wondering if she would ever get used to the sudden shift from nothingness to full awareness of the world around her.

  “About time you woke up,” Johnny murmured.

  “How long have you been awake?”

  “Not long.” He skimmed his fingers across her lips, then kissed her, slow and sweet. “I love having you beside me when I wake up.”

  “Will I ever be able to wake up as early as you?”

  “Soon. What would you like to do tonight?”

  Cassie pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I’d like to go see Cirque Du Soleil. I hear it’s amazing.”

  “Whatever my lady wants.”

  * * *

  He managed to get tickets to the last show. And it was just as breathtaking and amazing as she’d heard.

  Later, they strolled hand in hand
down the sidewalk, stopping at one casino or another to try their hand at blackjack and roulette.

  “Looks like your luck’s changed,” Johnny remarked when she lost four hands in a row at the blackjack table.

  “At least in this casino,” she agreed. “But I’m still over a thousand dollars to the good. Why don’t you play?”

  “It’s not much of a challenge when I can read people’s minds and learn what cards they’re holding.”

  “Oh! I’ve never tried that.”

  “It doesn’t take much concentration. Slot machines are really the only challenge,” he said with a grin. “Of course, I can manipulate them without much trouble.”

  “Being a vampire is kind of like being a magician, isn’t it?”

  “I never thought of it like that, but, yeah, I guess it is. Do you want to try your luck somewhere else?”

  “Okay,” she said, then grimaced as her body clenched with need, her veins tightening painfully.

  “I think maybe you need to hunt first.”

  “I guess so,” Cassie agreed. I’m living on human blood. It should have grossed her out, but instead, it filled her with anticipation.

  * * *

  It was near three A.M. when they headed for a residential area on the west side.

  “Do you think we’ll find anyone out and about at this time of the morning?” Cassie asked.

  “Bound to be someone coming home from work or getting ready to go,” Johnny said. And sure enough, five minutes later, he spied a man walking out the front door to his car. “Told you so,” he said, grinning. “All you have to do is call him.”

  Cassie stuck her tongue out at Johnny, then, concentrating, she called the man to her. It still surprised her that she could mesmerize people and make them do her bidding. After calming the man’s fears, she bit him as gently as she could, even though it was tempting to sink her fangs into his neck and drink and drink. She wouldn’t, of course. She didn’t want to kill anyone. But the temptation was always there.