"It's great to meet you too, William," Brianna greeted him formally, unsure if his nickname was reserved for close friends. His hand was unusually cold to the touch, sending shivers up her arm. Staring into his face, Brianna puzzled over his age. He didn't appear much older than her. She doubted he was more than twenty, tops. How had a man so young acquired such wealth? How could have he have had several careers? And to create all those statues and paintings? Had he been some kind of wunderkind?
"Call me Brent. Everyone always has, even before it was a popular given game. I hope you girls are enjoying the food and atmosphere."
"Oh, absolutely. Your parties are always fabulous." Charlotte batted her eyelashes.
"Well, thank you. I enjoy throwing together these little shindigs at least a few times a year."
A beautiful tanned woman with endless legs and a surgically enhanced figure tapped Brent's shoulder. She handed him a tall glass filled with dark red liquid.
"Thank you, darling." Brent put his arm over her shoulders. "This is Samantha, my date this evening."
After a few more minutes of casual banter, Brent and Samantha moved along to mingle with other guests. The enormous room became crowded. Men and women of various ages, races, and sizes, all dressed to the nines, filled the elegant ballroom.
"So many people," Brianna said, thinking aloud. "How did you all find each other? At the store?"
Renee laughed. "Sometimes, but not usually. A lot of us grew up together. Many of us feel more comfortable around our kind, so we keep a close-knit community. And many of us are family. Maeve is my first cousin, but more like my sister. I've lived with her since I was eleven."
"Oh, that must've been so nice for you." Brianna reminisced on wonderful times growing up with her sister. Staying up late, giggling, giving each other makeovers with their mother's makeup, playing catch in the yard, dancing in the living room in their pajamas, waking up in the morning as best friends…
"Well, yes and no. I moved in with them after my parents died in a car accident."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"They were wonderful people. It was hard on me for a long time. I was so lucky I had an aunt that was able to take me in and raise me. I don't know what would've happened to me without them. Our families were always close. Hey, Bri, don't you have a sister? You should bring her out, sometime, too."
Brianna was quiet for a moment. "How do you know I have a sister?"
"I think you told me about her."
Brianna didn't remember mentioning Mandy, but Renee was going on. "Anyways, Margie is my aunt. Maeve and I have both helped out at her shop from the time we were kids. That's how we learned everything we know about magic."
"Did you happen to find out anything about what we were talking about in the store?"
Renee shook her head. "But I'm going to keep looking."
"For what?" Maeve asked.
Renee nodded to Brianna, inviting her to share but allowing her privacy if she wished. "I don't know how to stop my powers. I just wanted to find a way to suppress them or something so I can live a normal life sometimes, too."
Maeve nodded. "Interesting. Has it been this way your whole life?"
"Um, yes. But it's only become a concern recently."
"It's uncommon," Renee said. "Brianna is the most powerful witch I have ever met. I'm not surprised, though…"
Brianna wasn't sure what Renee meant by that, but before she had a chance to ask, a tall blond man pulled up a chair next to Renee. He leaned forward and kissed her mouth.
"This is my boyfriend, Gavin," Renee introduced, breathless from the passionate kiss. "And our good friend, Jared." She motioned toward a black-haired boy standing behind Gavin's chair. "These are my new friends, Brianna and Valerie."
"Hello." Gavin's lips tilted, revealing a mouth full of straight, white teeth.
"Nice to meet you." Jared's enormous eyes were the color of the sky before a storm.
Wow, he's gorgeous, Brianna thought, her eyes moving over Jared's wide chest and toned arms. He had a tattoo, which she found incredibly sexy. A long-tailed snake around and up his arm and then disappeared underneath his black T-shirt.
Her eyes moved upward, and she admired his creamy complexion, chiseled jaw, broad shoulders, full lips… His blue-gray eyes made contact with hers, which were riveted on his face. Oh no, busted. Brianna squirmed in discomfort. Why did that always happen to her? How embarrassing.
As she stared at the wooden floor, his exquisite face was emblazoned in her mind. She wondered if she would ever have a chance with a guy like that. None of the guys here had paid any attention to her, Brianna realized. The gigantic room was packed, but not one person had tried to flirt with her. She wondered why.
"You're late," Renee said to her boyfriend.
"You're surprised?" Maeve asked.
"You guys live in the building!" Charlotte said.
"Mr. Beautiful held us up, doing his hair," Jared teased.
"Figures." Maeve laughed.
Gavin smoothed his long, blond locks and checked his classy black wristwatch. "It's ten! We're early." He kissed his girlfriend again.
"I'm going to get some fresh air," Charlotte said. She swiveled out of her chair and headed toward the balcony doors.
"I need to freshen up. Where's the bathroom?" Valerie asked.
"I'll go with you," Maeve said. They walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
"There are a few friends I want you to meet," Gavin said to Renee. "They are across the room."
"Okay. Come with us," Renee invited her new friend.
Brianna didn’t want to feel like a tag along. "Oh, I'll be okay. Val will be back in a few minutes."
"I don't want to leave you by yourself," Renee protested.
"I'll stay with her," Jared said. His black eyebrows rose in question. "That is, if she doesn't mind."
Brianna's heart fluttered in her chest. Maybe he does like me. No, I shouldn't think too much into it. He's just being polite.
"Is that okay?" Renee asked.
Brianna nodded. More than okay, she thought.
When Jared took the seat next to her, she found herself at a loss for words. Brianna flashed her most bedazzling smile. Jared smiled back, but did not get that mystified look on his face. If her powers wouldn't work on him, she didn't have a chance. He was the most attractive guy she had ever seen.
The sound of instruments caught her attention. Along the far right wall, three long-haired men tuned up on a large stage. Two of the band members were facing away, so Brianna only caught a glimpse of the third musician. With long, wavy brown hair, aquiline nose, and round cheeks, his resemblance to the lead guitarist of the popular band Solid Danger was uncanny.
"Wow. That looks just like William Houseal."
"That's because it is." Jared pointed to the other two men, "And there are Chris Pineiro and Scott Anderson." He named the other members of the multi-platinum-selling group.
Brianna squinted, disbelieving. "No way! Solid Danger is here? Like, performing at this party?"
Jared laughed. "I see you have never been to one of Brent's parties before. He always gets big names to perform."
"That's awesome. I'm stoked!"
"So I take it you like Solid Danger?"
"Love them! This party was already incredible, but this is just— I have no words! Mind blowing! Solid Danger is here! I need to take a picture of this!"
Brianna reached into her purse and retrieved her cell phone. She held it in the air, aiming the camera lens at the stage. A voluptuous brunette wearing a white dress and multiple strands of pearls smirked at Brianna. What's her problem? Brianna wondered. Then she observed the activity in the room. Everyone was having a good time. Guests were laughing, mingling, drinking, and chatting. No one was taking pictures. Most people weren't taking any special notice of the band. Apparently Grammy-winning artists were no big deal at parties like these.
Brianna flushed, feeling like an idiot. Jared, Renee, Brent…all
of them were just so nonchalant and cool. While trying to fit in with them, Brianna had inevitably made a fool of herself. She dropped her phone into her pocketbook before snapping the photo.
Still embarrassed, Brianna pretended to look at something on the opposite side of the room. She couldn't bring herself to look at Jared. He must regret offering to stay with her. He probably thought she was some pathetic groupie. Or even worse, a teeny-bopper. There were plenty of beautiful, poised, confident women attending this party. She wasn't even in his league.
"So what other bands do you like?" Jared asked.
"Well, I like Dark Moon, Lost Dreamers, and The Trip, but my absolute favorite is Red Rapture."
"Wow. I love all those bands, too. Have you ever heard of Cherry Addiction?"
"No," Brianna faced him and was again enamored by his handsome face.
"They're good. I think you'll like them. I'll have to play some of their music for you sometime."
Brianna's heart lifted. He wanted to play music for her! That was a good sign, right? "Sure." She stared into his eyes. Neither seemed able to look away for a few moments.
"I'm into rock music, but not just the popular stuff that plays on the radio. I'm always going to underground concerts."
"That's awesome. I like checking out obscure bands, too." An unnerving sensation shot from Brianna’s gut into her brain. She had an uncanny intuition she was being watched, but she didn't know from which direction, or by whom. Her gaze circled the room. A small, beautiful woman stared daggers at them. She lifted her pilsner glass to her thick lips and indulged in a long sip of dark red liquid. The wine was so thick that after she righted the glass, red liquid still clung to the sides, oozing back to the bottom.
Brianna shuddered. "What kind of wine are all these people drinking? I've never seen anything like it."
Jared burst out laughing. Oh no, have I said something stupid again? Brianna wished she could disappear. Just because she didn't usually attend highfalutin parties wasn't a reason to laugh at her. He could have just answered the question. Sorry, not everyone drinks fancy wine every day.
Just when Brianna had decided that he was a world-class jerk, he stopped laughing and his eyes met hers. "You're joking, right?" he asked.
She didn't know how to respond. It was clear there was something that she should know, but didn't. Jared must think she was a total fool. She thought about laughing and nodding. Saving face. Oh, of course I'm joking, she could say. But what was so funny about asking about wine?
"You're not. Renee didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?" Brianna asked. What was going on here?
"Well, you're going to find out sooner or later. They aren't drinking wine. It's blood."
Chapter Thirty-Six
Brianna would have burst into hysterical laughter if it hadn't been for the dead serious expression on his face. He was joking, right? What kind of sick party was this? People were drinking blood!
For several excruciating moments, they were both silent. Why wasn't he saying anything? She wished he would do something—laugh, then say something like, "Got ya! It's just some Merlot." But he didn't.
Brianna decided to play along. "Oh. So do you drink blood, too?"
"No. I'm not a vampire, but Brent is, and so is Gavin."
Wow, he was crazy. Well, he was so beautiful, there had to be some kind of major flaw to counteract that. As her eyes moved over his perfect face, strong jaw, full lips, and stormy eyes, Brianna wondered, Is insanity a deal-breaker?
She hoped this was some kind of a joke. A sick sense of humor was preferable to actually being mentally ill. She decided to call him out. "Be serious. You're creeping me out."
He stared intently at her face. "I am being serious. I can't believe Renee didn't tell you about the vampires."
"Vampires. Right." Brianna rolled her eyes, but pushed her chair back a bit. Her eyes darted around the room. Where was Renee, or Valerie? She didn't want to be alone with this weirdo. Renee must not know about his mental instability or delusions, or she never would have left me here with him. "But you're not a vampire. So what are you?"
Jared eyed the distance between them and raised his eyebrows. "I'm a reborn."
"A reborn? What does that mean?"
"It means I died, but I was reborn."
"So you're dead?" Brianna glanced around the room again.
"No, I'm not dead. Vampires are dead, or undead. I'm reborn. I'm alive. I was brought back to life, with amazing superpowers, no less."
"Who brought you back to life?" She continued to humor him, plotting her escape. This guy was completely off his rocker.
Jared shrugged. "It's not understood. Maybe God, maybe the devil, maybe some other force entirely. There are lots of theories."
Nearby, a man with an olive complexion sipped his dark red liquid. He eyed Brianna like she was a tasty treat. An icy shiver crept up and down her spine. "Vampires aren't real. Reborns aren't real."
"Jared, what are you saying?" Brianna had never been more grateful to hear Renee's soft voice. Even when scolding, Renee's tone had a gentle quality.
He shrugged his shoulders. "She was going to find out. You should have told her."
"I was going to tell her! But I haven't had the chance yet." Renee kneaded Brianna's shoulders. "It's okay. I know it's a lot to take in. There are lots of kinds of supernaturals. Vampires, reborns, wampires, shape-shifters, and demons, to just name a few. But none of them will hurt you. At least none at this party." Brianna realized she must have looked terrified. Renee's presence and soothing voice comforted her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Brianna asked.
"I was going to. I'm sorry. I didn't tell you beforehand because I was afraid you wouldn't come, and I wanted you to. That was selfish of me. I was going to tell you tonight, but then I got distracted. I'm so sorry. Do you forgive me?"
Brianna nodded. She was touched it had been so important to Renee that she attend the party. Her instincts told her to trust her new friend. If Renee said that no one would hurt her, that was the truth. But she still had one more question. "Are the vampires drinking…human blood?"
Renee laughed. "No, of course not! No modern vampire would do that. It's unethical, not to mention drinking human blood can be dangerously addictive. Don't worry. The choices tonight are cow's or pig's blood. It's the same as eating a burger and some bacon."
Well, maybe not exactly the same, but Brianna guessed it was close enough. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm so excited Solid Danger made it out tonight! You want to go dance?" Renee asked.
Brianna had been so engrossed in conversation she hadn't even noticed the band had started playing. Renee's return had brought her back to reality. Solid Danger was playing one of her favorite songs. The dance floor was packed.
"Sure." Brianna was able to smile again. Valerie and Maeve returned and joined them on the dance floor.
"There are vampires here!" Valerie whispered in Brianna's ear. "They are just beyond cool."
When the band played a slow ballad, Gavin wrapped his girlfriend in his arms for a close slow dance. A gentleman in a suit asked Maeve to dance. Valerie went to the bar. Jared appeared in front of Brianna.
"I'm sorry for scaring you before. Do you want to dance?"
She nodded. His hands pressed against the red fabric of her dress, his touch making her hot and steamy. They swayed in sync with the music and each other's steps. Looking up into his eyes, she got lost in the depth of his misty blue gaze. Brianna was so entranced by everything about him. His smile, laugh, voice, movement, and looks all infatuated her. She didn't feel afraid of liking him so fast. Maybe that was because she was no longer thinking…only feeling. She felt high and blissful, like she could dance that way forever.
The music stopped. The band took a break, but Brianna and Jared were still on the floor, arms wrapped around each other, staring into each other's eyes, swaying to music only they could hear. Several moments later, the two disentangled themsel
ves. Her hands were slow to move off his neck, his fingertips drifting down her side.
Outside the comfort of Jared's arms, Brianna felt that odd sensation again, like she was being watched. What was going on with her tonight? She wasn't usually paranoid.
The small, beautiful girl from earlier appeared next to them. Long, thick, pale blonde hair fell in thousands of perfect ringlets to the center of her back. Her sultry lips had been stained blood-red by her drink. A form-fitting light gold satin dress accentuated her slender frame. She leered at Brianna through big, hard brown eyes so dark that they were almost black. Although her expression was neutral, Brianna felt the menace behind her stare.
"Hi, Jared."
Brianna didn't like the way the girl stood so close to Jared, her lean body brushing against his side.
"Licinia, this is my friend, Bri."
Brianna was pleased he called her by her nickname. It sounded so natural flowing from his lips.
Licinia seemed to ignore Brianna's existence. She placed her hand on Jared's shoulder, leaning closer to him. "I've missed you. You haven't answered my calls."
"Sorry.” Jared used his hand to move hers off his shoulder. "Right now isn't the best time." He put his arm around Brianna’s shoulder. "Would you like to get another drink?"
Brianna nodded. Together, they walked away from the dark-eyed girl. Licinia's stare felt like heat on the back of Brianna's neck as she and Jared headed toward the bar.
"Who is she?" Brianna asked.
"An ex. But I don't want to talk about her. I want to talk about you."
A bartender served the handsome couple sparkling apple juice. Jared led Brianna to a small loveseat hidden in the corner.
"So tell me about yourself." Jared lowered himself onto the black leather cushion. "What do you like to do?"
"I play the guitar.” Brianna sat next to him.
"That's cool. I've always wanted to learn to play guitar."
"Well, maybe I can teach you. I know the chords, but I'm not that good."
"That would be sweet. Have you ever thought about starting a band?"
"I'm in a band. Or at least I was…"
In Shadows of Magic Page 13