Nathaniel arrived in the early afternoon to pick me up. He gave Roberto the weekend off. He let me into his Aston Martin. I could barely contain my excitement, wondering what he had planned for us.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked, pulling me into his arms.
‘Eager to get to the airport.’ I chuckled.
‘We will stay in the hotel today and then we’ll go visit my sister and her husband,’ he explained, driving off. The two officers followed us; they weren’t ready to leave me until I was safe in the plane.
‘I didn’t realise that you had any other family. You’ve never mentioned your sister to me before.’
‘My father turned her a couple of years after he became a vampire,’ he said. ‘So if you’re wondering—no she isn’t my biological sister, but I always treated her like one.’
‘What’s her name?’
‘Charlotte.’
‘It’s a pretty name,’ I muttered. ‘Are you two close?’
‘We are very close, although we don’t see each other that often. Charlotte was dying when my father turned her. Now she is married and settled.’
‘So they aren’t aging like you.’
‘No, they don’t, but Charlotte accepted me like her brother. She enjoys being a vampire.’
‘I can’t wait to meet them,’ I said, thinking about a cover charm. ‘I’m excited, I have always wanted to see Paris’
‘I’m more excited having all weekend to fuck your brains out,’ he whispered.
Pervert.
Ever since my father had interrupted our small rendezvous I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. We were going to make love tonight, and no one was going to disturb us this time around. We were flying from Heathrow in Nathaniel’s private plane. The flight was short, and by seven I was stepping on French soil, feeling positively nervous. I was so happy that I was away from all of the problems. I deserved a break from all the drama that I had in my life. Nothing was going to stop me from having a good time today.
A limousine waited for us at the airport. I couldn’t quite believe it when we were passing by the Eiffel Tower. Nathaniel told me a little about his sister and her husband. They lived twenty minutes from Paris.
‘The management doesn’t employ any humans at this hotel. Parisian paranormals like to keep away from the ordinary world,’ he explained when we stopped in front of tall Victorian building.
‘How is that even possible? What about human guests?’ I asked.
‘Magic,’ he said, smiling. ‘I don’t actually know, they just don’t. The reservation can be done online if you have a special quote, which could only be obtained by a paranormal. They are booked all year around.’
‘Impressive.’
‘And useful,’ he muttered. ‘We have a whole top floor reserved only for us.’
‘Whatever would you need a whole floor for?’
‘Who knows what could happen if your magic gets out of control?’
‘Shut up,’ I said, flushing.
Man he knows how to turn a woman on.
Fortunately for me, we reached the reception. Nathaniel started teasing me again and I didn’t believe that he had reserved the whole floor for us. His sister was expecting us tomorrow. He spoke in perfect French with a stunning receptionist who was a fairy. The hotel had an authentic setting. As soon as I walked in I could feel that Parisian atmosphere.
I was wrong when I thought that Nathaniel was joking about our private floor. Our room was like a large penthouse with a private dining room, sitting room and kitchen. We were going to be here for a night and we had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and our own private bar.
‘So, what do you think?’ he asked.
‘Are you kidding me? We don’t need all this.’
‘Maybe not, but I’m not taking any chances. I don’t want to be disturbed.’
‘Yes, but this probably cost you a fortune.’
‘Don’t worry about the money,’ he said, kissing my neck. ‘Besides, we have a lot to catch up on, but first we will go for dinner, before…’
‘Before what?’
‘Before I let go of any self-control that I’ve got left and take you right now in a French style.’
‘French style?’ I asked, laughing and getting all hot and sweaty.
‘Don’t tempt me,’ he said. ‘I need to make a phone call. Why don’t you change? We will have dinner downstairs in the restaurant.’
‘Of course, dear,’ I mocked him.
For a moment I thought that he wasn’t going to make that phone call after all, but he let me go. I went to the terrace to look around. My energy was swirling inside of me fast, but I was lost for words when I saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance as the sun began to hide behind the horizon. We were going to have a very special night and I couldn’t wait to explore Paris tomorrow.
While Nathaniel was busy in the living room I reapplied my makeup and put on my best silver dress and killer hills. I looked good, felt good and I was ready to rock. Nathaniel changed his shirt and stared at me for a long moment.
‘Miss Taylor, you look exquisite,’ he whispered, approaching me.
‘Oh thank you, Mr. La Caz.’
‘Let’s go before I rip that beautiful dress to pieces.’
I was starving, so I was glad that he restrained himself. For the first time I didn’t have to worry about my excess magic. My fingers sparked and shimmered, but no one was paying any attention to me. The hotel’s strict policy towards humans applied to its employees as well. We shared a lift with an Italian witch who was playing with the lights all the way to the bottom floor. In the restaurant we were served by a beautiful elf who spoke in excellent English. The food was out of this world and Nathaniel was very attentive. Throughout the dinner he never laid eyes on any other woman and kept the conversation going the whole time.
‘During that night when you decided to be so reckless, did you find anything out about Rufus?’ he asked as we were enjoying our dessert. I knew that he wouldn’t let go talking about this. I kept him in the loop most of the time, but I didn’t know if I should mention McGregor.
‘Their thoughts were tangled,’ I explained, hoping that he would dismiss the subject.
‘Just tell me. You know that I can be very persuasive.’
I sighed. ‘McGregor is in London, but I couldn’t make out anything else from their conversation.’
‘So you packed yourself and your friends in all sorts of trouble just to find out that my enemy number one is still in London?’
‘Can we not talk about this right now? You’re ruining the atmosphere.’
‘At least tell me what the hell had happened up there?’
Hmm, well, my ex-boyfriend turned up threatening to kill you.
‘Jasper saved my skin,’ I said, taking a sip of the champagne.
‘As in your ex-boyfriend, Jasper?’
‘Yep, the same one,’ I snapped. ‘He killed the giant and a troll, then he tried to talk me out of dating you.’
Nathaniel was listening. He didn’t look like he was jealous, but he didn’t look happy either.
‘He wants you back. I am not even a tiny bit surprised,’ he said with smooth low voice. His hazel eyes darkened.
‘Jasper does want me back, but I can assure you that we won’t be back together. He is dangerous, but he saved my butt up there, and I owe him one.’
‘I don’t get it, Julia. Why did you go out with him in the first place?’
It was a good question.
I met Jasper just after I graduated. I knew his sister Georgiana first. She was my roommate and a good friend. Jasper had been traveling for a while and he was looking to settle down, and Georgiana talked about him often. She convinced me to go out for a date with him when he arrived back in the UK. I said yes because I just wanted to make her happy. I hadn’t been out with anyone for a while and I just wanted to have some fun.
Jasper showed up an hour late. ‘I’m so sorry; I was stuck in traffic for over half an
hour,’ he said, sitting on the sofa opposite me.
‘Well, at least you’re here now,’ I muttered, looking around. He didn’t look at all like Georgiana. At the time I thought he wouldn’t be someone that I could see myself dating.
‘So tell me about yourself. My sis mentioned that you’re half elf. And you’ve got trouble with your magic?’
We talked for an hour or so and then he dropped me home. There were little things that I noticed later on that bothered me. He talked about himself a lot, and he was obsessed with dark spells and oriental charms. He was rude at times so our date ended early. When Georgiana asked about it I was too scared to tell her the truth, so she told Jasper that I had an amazing time with him. He had a great profession, hunting all the supernatural creatures around the world. He fascinated me with his wild stories. It wasn’t long before the second date turned into a third and fourth. Jasper looked after me and at the very beginning he treated me well. Before I knew it, I was in a serious relationship with him, and from there it only went from bad to worse. I was stupid, naive, and I just didn’t know how to end it.
‘Well?’ asked Nathaniel, pulling me away from my thoughts about Jasper. I didn’t know what to say. ‘His sister hooked us up. I was lonely. Men were never that interested in me, and he looked after me.’
‘But you left him.’
‘I did.’ I sighed. ‘Can we change the subject now? I think I had enough talking about my crazy ex for one evening.’
‘Of course.’
Nathaniel didn’t notice that a lot of females were looking at him. It surprised me that he didn’t dwell on my past with Jasper. I was dying to ask him about his fiancé, but I didn’t want to ruin our evening together. My past was complicated, but it was nothing compared to what Nathaniel went through with Isabelle. He had even admitted that he was in love with her.
Who knew what he planned? We were both adults, but I was the one that was in love with him, not the other way around.
Chapter thirty-two
Great, this is just great. No phone and I’m stuck with La Caz senior.
After dinner I excused myself and went to the ladies’ room, happy that the conversation about Jasper was over. I reapplied makeup and called Mum assuring her that I was still alive and that Nathaniel hadn’t proposed to me yet. Mum said that she knew ‘these’ things and she was sure that he would present me with the ring tomorrow. She was a lost cause, so instead of thinking about her I started adjusting my reflection in the mirror.
I was in the middle of reapplying my makeup when the fire alarm went off. Two vampires left the bathroom in a hurry, speaking fast in French. I assumed that it was probably a test, so I didn’t rush. The alarm kept ringing so I left, worried that it wasn’t a false alarm after all. The corridor was filled with paranormals. People were panicking, hurrying towards the entrance. Other paranormals were rushing through the stairs, the hotel staff directing everyone outside. I sneaked back to the restaurant, but all the tables were already empty. Nathaniel was gone.
I hurried towards reception.
‘Excuse me, could you tell me what is going on?’ I asked one of the porters in English.
‘Not sure, mademoiselle, there is a fire, no time to talk, leave, leave!’ he shouted, pushing me toward the way out. My phone fell out of my hand, but I didn’t have a chance to pick it up as the crowds of people rammed me, pushing forward. The panic spread, but I couldn’t understand anything, as everyone was screaming in French.
I tried to keep calm, but this wasn’t how I imagined this whole evening would end. Nathaniel had my purse, my phone was gone, and he was nowhere to be seen. The porter must have been right about the fire because I noticed the smoke that was coming from the rooftop once I was outside.
In the background I could hear sirens. The police arrived. I had no idea about what had happened to Nathaniel; he was probably looking for me, cursing that I didn’t wait for him. Someone was crying, others were pointing up. The firefighters arrived and the evacuation continued.
The police closed the main road, creating a complete chaos. The traffic started mounting. It was already dark and the air was soaked with smoke. Police were pushing people away from the building afraid that the fire would spread quicker than anyone could anticipate.
‘Excuse me, do you speak English?’ I asked an old wizard standing by an elegant witch.
They shook their heads staring at my inflamed fingers. I sighed, glancing around in frustration. The top floor was burning, the orange and yellow light illuminated through the night, melting the aura with Parisian lights. The situation was serious, and I knew that there was no chance that anyone would be back inside anytime soon. I couldn’t even understand how the fire could spread so fast and no one notice it. We were supposed to be on the top floor—I didn’t believe in that sort of coincidence.
I paced around the street searching for Nathaniel in the crowd, but it was too cramped to recognise anyone. My magic was getting out of control.
‘Julia, hey Julia!’
I turned, wondering if I really heard someone shouting my name. Then I saw La Caz senior pushing people away and hurrying towards me.
‘Oh my God, Philip,’ I yelled, hugging him tightly.
‘Wow, calm down there, darling.’ He pulled away. ‘Don’t tempt me; I don’t think I can handle you so close.’
‘Yes, sorry,’ I replied, flushing. ‘I’m glad that you’re here. I lost Nathaniel. We were in the restaurant, then I went to the bathroom and the alarm went off.’
‘You can’t find him?’
‘No, we separated, then I dropped my phone,’ I continued mumbling. ‘What are you even doing here? Did Nathaniel expect to see you today?’
‘He called my hotel a few hours ago to discuss our meeting tomorrow.’
Philip looked chaotic, but I was glad that he was here. After a moment he offered me his jacket as the temperature dropped slightly. He looked much paler today than when I met him the last time.
‘Maybe we should call him,’ I suggested, ‘to find out where he is.’
Philip scratched his head licking his lips. I didn’t use my cover charm, so my scent was probably driving him insane. ‘I don’t use mobile phones; I don’t like technology.’
‘You don’t have a mobile phone?’ I repeated. He nodded, looking lost.
Great, this is just great. No phone and I’m stuck with La Caz senior on my date night.
‘Well, what are we going to do now?’ I asked, dejected.
He looked around, disorientated. He was a businessman like Nathaniel. I didn’t get it how he was running his company without a phone. Our floor was burning and I didn’t believe that it was just a fluke. If it weren’t for the long dinner, we would have been upstairs, making love.
‘Stay here,’ he said. ‘I’m going to find out what is going on.’
‘No,’ I protested. ‘I’m not staying here alone. I don’t speak French.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Just stay where you are.’
He vanished before I could stop him. There was more smoke, the traffic was building and I wanted to scream with irritation. Fortunately, he came back ten minutes later shaking his head.
‘So? What is going on?’ I asked.
‘They are still evacuating people,’ he said. ‘The firefighters are trying to gain control of the fire, but it spread too quickly. I don’t think anyone would be allowed to go back inside tonight.’
‘Does anyone know what’s happened?’
‘It’s too early to tell.’
My heart skipped a beat as I imagined being trapped on the top floor with Nathaniel. All the scars on my body will always remind me about that horrible fire in the agency. If it wasn’t for Grandpa’s Christmas present, I would have burned alive.
‘Come on, we should get going,’ said Philip.
‘Go where?’ I hissed ‘What about Nathaniel?’
‘You don’t want to spend a night on the street do you?’ he asked. ‘My son knows how
to take care of himself. We will call him as soon as we reach my daughter’s house.’
He was right, the street was getting crowded and the police started to push people farther away from the building. I had to keep my hands away hoping that no humans would notice my inflamed fingers. Philip was a vampire, he could easily drain me if he wanted to, but he was also Nathaniel’s father. I knew that I could trust him.
Twenty minutes later we got into a taxi. I had to really concentrate not to blow anything up through the whole journey. The taxi driver was a human, he ranted in French with La Caz senior. It was quarter to one in the morning by the time we reached our destination. We drove through a large estate, stopping in front of a huge gothic mansion. I was too tired to asked questions, but I wanted to know if Nathaniel was safe. Philip La Caz vanished, leaving me with the housekeeper who had shown me straight to my room. I was pissed off that he just disappeared leaving me completely unaware about what was going on. My excess magic was taking away all my energy and I just needed to get to bed. My room was spacious with a squeaky wooden floor and a large, high king size bed. I stayed up for an hour, before the exhaustion took over and I fell asleep—not knowing if I would be alive in the morning.
***
When I opened my eyes the next day I was completely confused. Someone had taken all of my clothes and I was lying on top of a warm, ripped body. My mind was spinning as I peered underneath my eyelashes, inhaling the familiar scent. Nathaniel shifted slightly and I automatically relaxed. Memories from last night flashed in my mind, the fire, the crowd, and his father.
‘Hmm, stop moving,’ he muttered, pulling me closer.
‘I lost you yesterday. What was going on?’ I asked, sitting back. He opened his eyes.
‘It’s a long story,’ he replied, moving his eyes down. I flushed remembering that I was completely naked.
Paranormal Personnel Saga Box Set - Books 1-3 Page 42
